


Heaven Sent an Angel

by melodys_muse



Category: Port Charles
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-08
Updated: 2013-03-09
Packaged: 2017-12-04 17:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 86
Words: 167,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/713077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodys_muse/pseuds/melodys_muse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rafe and Alison try to fight their feelings for each other, but fate has other plans for them. Takes place after Alison walks out on Jamal after kissing Rafe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Readers! 
> 
> This fanfic was originally posted on my Rafe and Alison website on Geocities and later, Bravehost. Both have since discontinued their free sites, leaving this story without a home online. Therefore, I’m reposting it here. (All 86 chapters of it!) 
> 
> I’ve gone through and made some edits, eliminating embarrassing typos I somehow missed before, and other slight changes which do not affect the story at all. There is also a sequel to this story on fanfiction.net in case anyone is interested. My user name there is melody’s muse. Look for me in the Port Charles section!
> 
> Well, enough of my long, rambling notes. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing. This story is for my own amusement.

originally posted 1-22-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

1

~*~*~*~

Rafe left the Recovery Room in a hurry and went back home. He had to leave, get out of Port Charles. Just for a few days anyway. He needed to give Alison some space, that's what he needed to do. He came back to patch things up between Alison and Jamal, and just hanging around her all the time wasn't getting them back together any faster. In fact, it appeared to be doing just the opposite.

Rafe picked up his duffel bag, threw some things in it, and headed out the door. The cold wind bit his face, but Rafe didn't care. He kept warm with thoughts of Alison. Her warm breath on his face, her warm skin under his mouth. He could still taste her on his lips.

The snow crunched under Rafe's boots as he walked through the park. The same park where he and Alison drank hot chocolate and made snow angels. He walked past the very spot they had been at earlier, kissing in the snow.

"Stop it, Rafe," he told himself. "You're just making things harder on yourself."

As Rafe continued passing through the park, he stopped. Something was off. He heard a strange sound, like someone was crying....

~*~*~*~

Alison gave up wiping her tears a long time ago. She just let the salt burn her eyes and let the cold, bitter wind dry them on her face.

She just couldn't believe it. How could he? How could Jamal just go to that woman while she was walking out the door?! Didn't he see that she was tearing up inside? That she was reaching out to him, trying to pull him back to her and make things right again? No, apparently not. Instead, he just invited Valerie into their home, into _her_ bed without any consideration of her feelings! He should have consulted her on this matter before he welcomed her into what was once their happy home.

It wasn't happy anymore. That was what was tearing up Alison inside. Something was changing. It was like her life was in the driver's seat of a car with faulty brakes. She was unable to stop it, and the ramifications of what would happen next weighed heavily on her mind.

~*~*~*~

Rafe followed the sounds of soft crying until he found her. Rafe's heart broke at the sight of Alison sitting on the park bench, crying to herself.

“Alison?” he said softly.

Alison looked up with surprised eyes, obviously not knowing she had an audience. She smiled half-heartedly when she realized it was Rafe.

"Oh, Rafe..." she cried as fresh tears suddenly came flooding out.

Rafe rushed over to the bench and put his arms around her. Alison buried her face into his shoulder and she cried for a few minutes. Rafe continued to hold her close and he softly stroked her blonde locks of hair.

"It's okay, I'm here, Alison," Rafe soothed.

Alison looked up at Rafe and wiped the corner of her eye. "No, it's not okay, Rafe."

"What's wrong? Is it Jamal?"

Alison quietly shook her head yes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rafe offered. "It might help."

"Valerie's staying with us again. And I just…I just got really upset because Jamal never took my feelings into consideration, and he just like, ran to her when she was crying out while I was walking out the door! I had to leave. I had to get out of that apartment. I can't stand to see Jamal right now."

An icy wind picked up a strand of Alison's hair, and she shivered as she pulled her coat closer to her.

"Alison, you're freezing!" Rafe said as he rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm her up. "How long have you been out here?"

Alison shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. A while…"

"Alison, you shouldn't be hanging around the park by yourself at this hour. It's dangerous and I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

"I just came here to think. It's quiet here."

"You weren't going to stay out here all night, were you?"

"No, I…I was going to go to Jack and Livvie's. I just came here first."

"Well why don't I walk with you to Jack and Livvie's, okay? I don't want you to be by yourself."

"You know, Rafe, actually, I didn't realize how late it was. Jack and Livvie have probably gone to bed now. I wouldn't want to wake them up or anything."

"Oh, well I'm sure they wouldn't mind…"

"Can I just stay with you tonight?"

"Well…"

"Please?" Alison asked hopefully.

Rafe smiled. "Of course. Anything for a friend."

Alison smiled. "Oh, thank you, Rafe." She threw her arms around him and gave him a hug.

"Okay, well come on, let's go," Rafe said.

Alison picked up the bag she had packed in haste, and Rafe took it.

"I'll carry that for you."

"Thanks." Alison then noticed the bag Rafe was holding. "Rafe? What's with that bag? You…you weren't leaving town were you?"

"What?" Rafe realized Alison had noticed his duffel bag. "Oh, oh that, right. No, I'm not going out of town."

"Well were you? I mean, why else would you have a small bag packed?"

Rafe tried not to be nervous when he spoke. "Oh, well, yeah, I was sort of going somewhere, angel duty stuff you know, but, no, that's actually not important anymore."

"Rafe, if there's somewhere you have to be…"

"No, no, I don't need to be anywhere. Not anymore."

"Oh," Alison said, not really understanding what Rafe was talking about. "Well, you like, weren't going to leave town without saying goodbye to me, were you?"

"I wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, Alison."

Alison smiled.

"Okay, so come on, let's get you out of this cold. Your lips are already starting to turn blue."

"Okay," Alison said, and followed Rafe back to his place.

~*~*~*~

Rafe opened the door and allowed Alison to walk in first. "You can just put your things wherever," Rafe said.

Alison put her bag down and took off her coat. "Rafe, thanks for letting me crash here."

"It's no problem, Alison. I don't mind having you here. You're my friend."

"Rafe, look, I really hope that you're not mad at me. You know, about earlier in the park. I'm sorry that…."

"No apologies necessary," Rafe said with a smile. "Look, I understand you were upset. Maybe you and Jamal just need some time to cool down, and then you can call him in the morning and work things out…"

"No!" Alison spat out. "I mean, no. I shouldn't have to call and work things out. If he wants to come to me and apologize, then he'll do it. I shouldn't have to do anything."

"Alison, I'm sure that you and Jamal—“

"Rafe," Alison said, cutting him off gently, "not to be a pain or anything, but can we not talk about Jamal anymore?"

Rafe smiled. "Jamal who?"

Alison smiled back.

"Well, it's getting pretty late," Rafe said. "And you still look pretty cold."

"I am," Alison said. "You know, I'm really tired. I think maybe I'll just take a hot shower and call it a night. I'm really tired."

"Okay," Rafe said. "There are some clean towels there in the bathroom and Lucy has some robes and night things…brand new and she hasn't even worn them yet."

Alison laughed. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Oh, and don't worry, I won't like, peek in or anything. I'll just stay out here," Rafe said, making an attempt at a joke.

Alison laughed softly, knowing he was still probably a little embarrassed about that whole incident from a few weeks ago.

"All right, I'm just gonna, just go now," she said and pointed to the bathroom.

Alison attempted a smile, but Rafe could still see pain in her eyes.

"Alison?"

Alison turned around "What?"

"I uh…I wish that I still had my magic powers. I'd…I'd make your tears go away."

Alison smiled. "You don't need magic powers to do that, Rafe." Alison walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're an angel, Rafe, in more ways than one." Then she left the room, and Rafe sighed and sat down on the couch.

Rafe looked up. "Is this some kind of test you're giving me, Ed? Do you enjoy torturing me? Well, thanks a lot!" a frustrated Rafe said.

~*~*~*~

When Alison stepped out of the bathroom, a mist of hot steam floated out. It smelled like tropical flowers.

Rafe looked at her. She was so beautiful. She had her wet hair pulled back and was wearing a light blue robe. "You look more relaxed."

"I feel more relaxed." She yawned. "A little tired though." Alison walked over to the couch and sat down beside Rafe. She laid down, resting her head on the couch cushion. "Tell me about growing up Transylvania, Rafe."

Rafe laughed. "Are you sure about that? Because most people prefer not to have nightmares before they go to sleep."

Alison laughed softly.

"Well, I will say that I had a very unusual childhood. Being a vampire slayer wasn't exactly something I had a choice in. It was decided for me. Sometimes though, I would try to escape, just for a little while anyway. There was this spot in the woods that no one but me knew about, and I would go there a lot. I played there a lot as a child. As I got older, I would go there to just think about things…"

Rafe happened to look down at Alison. She was fast asleep. Rafe grabbed a blanket and covered Alison with it. He knelt down beside her and watched her sleep. Then, Rafe placed a little kiss on her head. He couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful she was…


	2. Chapter 2

originally posted 1-26-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

2

Livvie ran to the front door in a hurry at the sound of someone knocking relentlessly on it. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" she shouted. Finally, Livvie opened the door. "Jamal-"

"Where's Ali?" Jamal said, walking into the house.

"Alison's not here."

Jamal gave her a look of disbelief. "Look, Livvie, I really need to talk to her. It's important. I know you're just covering for her. Now where is she?"

"I told you, Jamal, she's not here."

"Ali!" Jamal called out. "Baby girl, please, I need to talk to you!"

"Jamal…" Livvie said quietly, but on deaf ears. She stood with her arms crossed and tapped her foot on the floor while Jamal searched every room in the house until he was positive that Alison was in fact, not there.

"Okay, when did she leave? Where did she go?" Jamal persisted.

"Jamal, I haven't seen Alison."

"What do you mean you haven't seen Alison?"

"I mean I haven't seen her!" Livvie repeated.

"You mean she didn't come here last night?"

"No. Jamal, hey, what's going on?"

"I gotta go!" Jamal said in a hurry and rushed out the door.

"Jamal, wait!" Livvie said as she stood at the front door and watched Jamal rush off. "What happened with you and Alison?" Livvie asked to no one but herself.

~*~*~*~

Rafe woke up to the smell of something very sweet. It smelled like cinnamon. Yes, it was definitely cinnamon. The scent wafted into the living room. It was coming from the kitchen.

It took Rafe a few moments to realize where he was. His neck and back felt stiff from sleeping in the chair. Rafe quickly glanced over at the couch. No sign of Alison, only the blanket she had left behind.

Rafe stood up and walked slowly to the kitchen. He stopped at the doorway and watched Alison unnoticed for a few moments. She stood in front of the stove and was making something in a frying pan. Her blonde hair was still pulled back, and she was still wearing that light blue robe. It was such a pretty color on her…it brought out the color in her eyes, Rafe thought.

It was then that Alison turned around and smiled. Rafe was caught. "Good morning, sleepyhead," she said all cheerfully and bubbly.

Rafe smiled and scratched his head. "Uh, Alison, what are you doing?"

Alison laughed. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm making you breakfast. Come on, I have to pay you back somehow for letting me cry on your shoulder last night."

"You're making me breakfast?"

"Well, us actually. I hope you like French toast. I also made some scrambled eggs and some bacon."

"Where did you get all this? Did you go to the store this morning?"

"No, this is just stuff that Lucy still had in the fridge."

"Lucy eats bacon? Lucy doesn't strike me as a bacon-eater."

Alison laughed. "Maybe she keeps it for Serena. Okay, now why don't you go get all cleaned up and then come back here and I will have breakfast on the table."

Rafe laughed. "Okay."

Alison set out two plates and put the food on the table. Then, she poured some orange juice and got out eating utensils. After the table was set, she looked in the cabinet for the most important thing…the syrup.

Rafe came back into the kitchen to find Alison already seated at the table.

"Wow, you've thought of everything," Rafe said as he saw breakfast set before him and joined Alison at the table. "And it smells delicious."

"Just wait until you taste it," Alison said with a smile.

Rafe smiled back at her as he took his plate and began to pile it up with food. Alison watched him and smiled.

"Syrup?" Alison asked.

"Yes, please," Rafe replied.

Rafe poured his syrup on and then took his fork out. Alison was still grinning at him.

"What?" Rafe asked.

"I'm waiting for you to try it!"

"Okay, okay!" Rafe laughed. Rafe cut up a piece of French toast with his fork and took a bite. He smiled in satisfaction and just made little mumbling food noises. "Mmm, mmm, oh yeah…"

"You like it?"

Rafe shook his head yes. "Alison, this is the best French toast I've ever tasted!"

"Really? You're not just saying that?"

"I'm not just saying that. It's really good. You got a secret recipe or something?"

Alison grinned. "Well, you wanna know the real secret to the best French toast in the world?"

"Sure."

"Well, it's a lot of cinnamon, and a dash of vanilla."

"Mmm."

"And…." Alison picked up the bottle of syrup. "Lots of syrup!" Alison licked her lips in anticipation and began to pour it on her toast.

"I see you like to drown yours," Rafe laughed, noticing that Alison had covered every inch of her toast with the sweet liquid.

Alison shrugged her shoulders. "Can't help it. Guess I just have a sweet tooth."

_You're definitely sweet,_ Rafe wanted to say.

"So, does your neck hurt?" Alison asked.

"Well, it's just a little stiff. Wait, how did you know?"

"Rafe, you didn't have to sleep in the chair. I would have been okay by myself in the living room, you know."

_But I wanted to watch you sleep._

"Oh, well yeah I know, but uh…well I just wanted to make sure that you didn't have any nightmares or anything. And I guess I wanted to be there in case you woke up. But then I fell asleep too so…"

Alison smiled. "You're so sweet, Rafe."

Rafe blushed.

~*~*~*~

Rafe and Alison were finishing up with their breakfast.

"Well, Alison, I have to say, I can't remember the last time I had a breakfast that wonderful before. My compliments to the chef."

Alison laughed. "Thanks. I'm just doing my part, helping you experience the joys of life! That's why you're here, Rafe, and you haven't lived until you've ate a breakfast like that."

_I'm here because of you._

Rafe smiled at Alison. God, she was so beautiful. He didn't realize he had been staring at her.

"Rafe?" Alison caught his eye.

"What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What? Oh, oh…you, you just have a little syrup…on your mouth."

"Oh."

Rafe slowly moved his finger to Alison's mouth and ran it gently across her bottom lip. Her lip was soft and rosy, and he felt a tingle at the touch of it. He lightly wiped the syrup off and brought his finger to his own mouth. He licked the excess syrup. He kept his eyes locked with Alison's.

Alison held her breath. She had felt a tingle too at Rafe's touch. The way he just brushed the syrup off and licked it was just so…so sensual. She noticed the way Rafe kept staring at her.

Rafe saw the look in Alison's eyes. She felt it too, whatever that tingle was, she felt it too, he knew it. It was some kind of impulse reaction. Rafe suddenly leaned forward and placed his lips on hers.

He hadn't intended on kissing her, but he couldn't control his urges, and Alison apparently wasn't fighting it either, despite the way she had abruptly stopped their kissing the night before.

Alison moaned, being lost in the sweetness of Rafe's kiss. His kisses were so urgent, so passionate. It was nothing like how it was with Jamal. Rafe was a fabulous kisser!

Alison felt Rafe's tongue explore the inside of her warm mouth, and she wondered if he could taste the leftover syrup on her tongue.

"RAFE, OPEN UP!" a man bellowed and pounded on the front door, putting an abrupt halt to Rafe and Alison's kiss.

"That's Jamal," Alison said.

"We don't have to let him in," Rafe said.

"No, no, I should talk to him," Alison said.

"Are you sure you want me to let him in?"

"Yeah," Alison said softly.

Rafe got up from the table and walked to the front door. The moment he opened it, Jamal barged in.

"Jamal, so nice to see you," Rafe said, although he could tell that Jamal was definitely not in the mood for pleasantries.

"Where's Ali?" Jamal demanded.

"I'm right here, Jamal," Alison said softly.

Jamal turned around to see Alison standing at the doorway to the kitchen. And why was she wearing a robe?

 


	3. Chapter 3

originally posted 2-10-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

3

Jamal stared at Alison. "I went to Livvie and Jack's, and you weren't there," he said.

"I spent the night here," Alison admitted.

Jamal looked her up and down and gave her a smug look. "I can see that. You sure look relaxed. You want to tell me exactly what's going on here?"

Alison rolled her eyes. "Oh god, Jamal! It's not what it looks like. I can't believe you even have the nerve to suggest that."

Rafe stood by nervously and watched. "Um," he spoke up, "I think I'll just let you two talk…" Rafe started to leave.

"Not so fast!" Jamal said, stopping him. "I know what you're up to, Rafe! I know what kind of guy you are."

"Jamal…" Alison said.

"Alison acts like you're such a great guy, like you're some kind of," Jamal chuckled, "like you're some kind of angel! But you know what, Rafe? You're no angel! Don't think I can't see right through your act! From day one, you have been weaseling your way into our life and then you become such good friends with my girl. The real reason you've grown so close to Alison is because you have the hots for her!"

"Jamal, that is enough!" Alison screamed. "Rafe is my friend, and you will treat him with respect!"

"Spunky, don't you see that he's playing you?"

"Jamal, you know nothing about me and Rafe. Rafe is my friend, okay? _My friend_! And like a friend, he's been there for me. I spent like, almost two hours crying in the park last night after I left. I probably would have stayed out there all night if it hadn't have been for Rafe. He was actually there for me…unlike you!"

"Alison, what do you expect me to do? Kick Valerie out onto the streets?"

"Um, guys, maybe if you just talk about this calmly…" Rafe suggested, but no one heard him.

"No, Jamal! I didn't say that. Look, I understand that Valerie is going through a hard time, okay, but what I do expect is for you to at least take my feelings into consideration!"

"What do you want me to do, Alison?" Jamal screamed.

"I want you to put our relationship first!" Alison hollered. "Can't you see that we're in some serious trouble here?"

"So you want Valerie out?"

"Yes! I would like it for Valerie not to be there!"

"I can't believe you, Alison! Can't you see that Valerie is going through a hard time? I know you and Valerie aren't exactly friends, but she is the mother of my child, and I'm not just going to abandon her!"

"I'm not saying abandon her, Jamal! Can you just deal with Valerie but not let her take over your life? I'm your girlfriend! Shouldn't I be the one you put first?"

Jamal didn't say anything.

"You know what, just GO Jamal! I don't want to see you right now!"

"Fine, I don't want to see you either! Have a good time with Rafe!" Jamal yelled and stormed out the door.

"Alison…" Rafe said softly, but Alison didn't hear him. She ran out of the living room and into the bathroom. A second later, Rafe heard the door slam.

Rafe sat down on the couch and grabbed his journal. This was not going well…at all!

~*~*~*~

About fifteen minutes later, Alison reemerged from the bathroom. She was dressed now and she was holding her bag of packed clothes.

Rafe stood up and walked over to her. "Alison, are you okay?"

Alison shook her head. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you leaving?"

"I think I should, Rafe. Look, thanks for letting me stay here, but I really think I should go. It's just making things like, more complicated."

"Right," Rafe agreed. "Well, where are you going to stay?"

"With Livvie and Jack. You know, until Jamal and I can work things out."

"Oh, right. Of course, until you can work things out with Jamal."

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, look, about that kiss this morning. I'm sorry about that."

"No, Alison, I should be the one to apologize. I honestly don't know why I did that. I didn't mean to—“  

"Rafe," Alison gently interrupted him. "It's okay. I didn't exactly do anything to stop it either. But, Rafe, it can't happen again. You know that, don't you?"

"I know."

"Okay, well I'm going to go now. Thanks, Rafe."

"Let me get the door for you." Rafe rushed to help Alison. "Alison?"

"Yeah?"

"Look, if you ever want to talk…"

"I know, Rafe."

"I just want you to be happy."

Alison smiled. "Bye, Rafe."

"Bye," Rafe said softly.

~*~*~*~

Later that morning, Rafe went to the park to clear his head. The situation was just getting worse and worse, and Rafe needed to do something about it before he made any more mistakes.

"ED!" He called out, looking up towards the sky. "Come on! Let me go back! I don't belong here! I'm just making things worse!"

Rafe waited for a while for some sort of response. Nothing happened.

"Fine!" Rafe screamed. "If you want to ignore me, that's just fine! But it'll be your fault if things go wrong! OH, COME ON!" Rafe sat down on the bench, completely flustered. Coming back to earth was such a mistake.

"Rafe, you don't have to scream. I can hear you just fine."

Rafe looked up to see Ed walk towards him. He sat down beside him.

"Oh, well, I was just really upset and all."

"Yes, I can see that."

"Ed, you've gotta let me go back! Please! I'll never ask for anything else again!"

Ed chuckled softly. "Rafe, you know I can't do that."

"But I'm making things worse!"

"Well then I guess you'll have to make things right then, won't you?"

"But I don't know how."

"Well then you'll have to figure it out."

"Ed! Why do you always do this to me?" Rafe got up from the park bench and started pacing around.

"You know, Rafe, if memory serves me right, you begged me to come back to earth. And now you're begging to go back."

"It was a huge mistake to come back here, boss."

"And why is that?"

"You saw what happened this morning, didn't you?"

Ed smiled. "Yes, I did. You're sweet on that blonde girl," Ed laughed.

"Ed!"

"And don't think I didn't see that little make-out session in the park last night."

Rafe sat back down on the bench. "Okay, soooo, aren't you going to say anything about that?"

Ed thought about it for a while. "No. I'm sure you'll figure out the right thing to do on your own."

"Ed, you're not helping me!" Rafe got up from the bench again and walked around. "Look, don't you understand? I have completely and totally screwed up fate! I've messed it up! It's my entire fault! I should have listened to you, boss. I should have just stayed back in Heaven and I should have NEVER come back here! If I hadn't have come back, Alison and Jamal would have probably worked out their problems on their own and they would be back together right now. But did I let that happen? NO! I decided that they couldn't handle something like that by themselves and that they needed a little heavenly intervention! And now, instead of getting them back together, I'm pulling them apart! Don't you see, Ed? That whole argument they had this morning was completely my fault!"

Rafe sat back down on the bench and rubbed his head. All of this was giving him a headache.

"Rafe, I'm well aware of what you're going through. I know, it's not easy. You're just going to have to trust that things will work out the way they are supposed to. I hardly think you ruined fate."

"But I don't have much time left."

"No, you don't. So you're going to have to do some serious thinking about the situation and make it right. This is your journey, Rafe. I can't help you, I can only guide you."

"Well that's easier said than done. I'm not exactly good at controlling my emotions."

"I've noticed," Ed said. "Maybe you're not supposed to," Ed winked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll figure it out," Ed promised.

"But I…" Rafe stammered.

"Look, I have to go."

"But I don't know what to do, and I don't know how to figure it out!"

"Rafe, my boy. What am I going to do with you?"

Rafe gave Ed a helpless look.

"Rafe, if you don't remember anything else I tell you, then just remember this. Love is the most powerful force in the world, and with love, anything is possible."

With that, Ed disappeared, leaving Rafe even more confused than he was before.

 


	4. Chapter 4

originally posted 2-19-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

4

~*~*~*~

_1/5/02_

_“Love is the most powerful force in the world, and with love, anything is possible.”_

_Ed’s words keep repeating in my head. What does he mean by that? I can’t figure it out! Alison has gone to stay with Livvie and Jack. I guess it’s really for the best, because after that kiss this morning, I really don’t think I could stop myself from doing that again. And it’s wrong. Alison is right, it can never happen again. I have to stop thinking about her and concentrate on the reason I came back…to help Alison mend things with Jamal. Their love is strong, and they can deal with this. I hope. Ha! Oh please, Rafe, you know that is not the real reason why you came back. You’re in love with her! You are in love with Alison Barrington. Face it. Could that have been what Ed meant? I am in love with Alison. Is it possible that she could love me back? No, get real, Rafe, you are an angel. This is driving me crazy! What does Ed mean? Does he mean that it is possible for Alison to work things out with Jamal? Or he is talking about me, because I had the strange feeling that he knows something I don’t. He always tells me I should watch how my behavior affects other people, and yet, I kiss Alison and fall in love with her and he smiles about it? I don’t understand it!_

_I wish I could be lucky enough,_

_To hold you in my arms forever._

_To have it be more than friendship._

_Maybe someday, I’ll be lucky enough._

I love you, Alison. If I had one wish, I would only wish for one thing…you.

~*~*~*~

Alison stood on Livvie and Jack's porch. The whole time she had walked to their house, her mind had been on Rafe. It wasn't until she walked up the steps that she thought of Jamal, which was the real reason why she was not home in the first place.

Alison timidly knocked on the door. She hoped coming here was not a mistake. The last thing she wanted to do was to put Livvie and Jack in the middle of all this. They were Jamal's friends too.

"Alison," Livvie said as she opened the door. She could tell by the look on Alison's face that things were not well. "Sweetie, what's wrong? Come in."

Alison walked in and sat her bag down on the floor. "Is Jack here?"

"No, he's at the bike shop."

"Um, Livvie, could I stay with you guys for a while?"

"Of course you can. Oh, gosh, did you and Jamal have a fight? Is that was this is all about?"

"I sort of left him."

"You broke up with him?" Livvie asked, stunned.

"No, no. I just...I just got mad at him and I had to get away for a while. So, you really don't mind if I stay here, for now anyway?"

"No, you can stay here as long as you want. Come on, why don't you come sit here and tell me all about it."

Alison took off her jacket and sat down on the couch with Livvie.

"I don't even know where to begin, Livvie."

"Well tell me what happened with you and Jamal. He seemed really upset this morning."

"This morning? You saw Jamal this morning?"

"Yeah, he came banging on the door at the crack of dawn looking for you. When I told him that you weren't here, he didn't believe me. Then he left in such a hurry and I didn't get a chance to ask him what was going on. Where did you stay last night? He said you left."

"I stayed with Rafe. I was…I was going to come here but it was so late and Rafe was there for me. I was so upset over Jam-"

"Whoa, wait! Rafe? I thought Rafe went back up to…"

"No, he's back, at least for a little while anyway. It's like a reward for a job well done. He gets to stay for a while and enjoy his time on Earth, without his powers though."

"Okay, so you stayed with Rafe because you and Jamal got into a fight?"

"I got upset with him over Valerie."

"Oh no, what did she do now?"

"She's depressed over her baby and Jamal was there to comfort her! Which look, it's not that I don't want Jamal to help Valerie. I understand she is going through a difficult time, but Jamal doesn't have to keep putting her first! I'm his girlfriend and he should take my feelings into consideration!"

"Have you talked to Jamal since last night?"

"Yeah, he found me at Rafe's and we got into this huge argument over Valerie. I told him to leave and he stormed out, then I just left and came straight here."

"Aww, honey, well you can stay here as long as you like. Look, maybe you should just give this some time. Just a few days for you and Jamal to cool off, and then you can work things out…"

"Livvie, I'm not so sure I want to anymore."

"What? Alison, you're not serious are you?"

"Livvie, there's something that I haven't told you."

"What?"

"I…I kissed Rafe again! More than once, actually!"

"Alison!"

"I know, I know, I know! But I couldn't help it! We were in the park yesterday and he was there and I don't know, it just sort of happened."

"Alison, look, it's obvious what is going on here. Jamal has been distant with you lately, and you have turned to Rafe. He's been a good friend, so of course, you would turn to him."

"But it's not that, Livvie! That's what I thought it was…but now I'm not so sure. I…I think I'm starting to have feelings for him!"

"Alison, this is not good. Have you forgot that little fact that he's an…"

"I know, I know! He's an angel. But, Livvie, it's not like I don't realize that. And in fact, I've tried to push away these feelings just because of that very fact but I don't think I can do that any longer. It's not fair to Jamal!"

"Whoa, Alison, what are you saying? You mean to tell me you've had these feelings for Rafe for a while now?"

Alison shook her head. "I think I have, Livvie. What am I going to do?"

Livvie took hold of Alison's hand. "Look, Alison, I am your friend, and I don't want you to get hurt. Look, you and I both know that Rafe isn't one of us. He lives up there, and a relationship with him is only going to hurt you."

"But Rafe would never hurt me."

"No, not intentionally, but what happens when he has to leave? Alison, this can't work. You know that, don't you?"

"I know it, Livvie, but my heart doesn't realize that yet."

"What about your feelings for Jamal? You can't be telling me that you are suddenly out of love with him, are you?"

"Of course I still love Jamal. I'll always love him. But…something's changed between us. I just…I just don't feel it anymore."

"Alison, that's normal! You hear all the time about couples who have been together for a long time suddenly realizing the relationship has changed. They go from not being able to keep their hands off each other to just, well, you know. When's the last time you and Jamal went out on a date or had a romantic candlelight dinner?"

"I can't remember."

"Well there, you see! You have to put the romance back into your relationship. That's all it is."

"Maybe you're right."

"Just take some time to think about this, okay. You need to concentrate on Jamal and getting things back on track."

Alison smiled. "You're right. You're right, Livvie." Then she hugged her best friend.

"I'm just looking out for you. The last thing I want is for you to be hurt."

Alison hugged her friend tighter, but in her mind, her thoughts were still on Rafe and her growing feelings for him.


	5. Chapter 5

originally posted 2-23-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

5

~*~*~*~

Alison had stayed at Jack and Livvie's for three days now, and she had not since heard from Jamal. Well, technically, he did call when he found out from Jack that she was staying there, but considering the fact that Alison was still not speaking to him, he decided to just lay low for a while and let things cool off. He would call her later.

Alison had not heard from Rafe either. In fact, other than Livvie and Jack, Alison had not seen much of anyone. Alison didn't really leave the house, except for the odd time or two she went out to get a bite to eat with Livvie and Jack. She really just wanted some time to herself, time to sort all of this stuff out in her head. And she had a lot on her mind, so it was taking considerable time.

"Where are you off to?" Jack asked after breakfast when he saw Alison was putting on her coat.

"Just for a walk in the park, to clear my head," Alison explained. "I think I really should get out and stuff. See ya."

Livvie walked into the living room. "Where's Ali going?"

"She said she had to get out. I hope she and Jamal can work things out."

"I'm sure they will," Livvie said with a smile and kissed her boyfriend.

But Alison was not so sure of that. She had been moping around Jack and Livvie's for days with this sad expression on her face. They assumed she was still upset over the whole Jamal/Valerie mess. That was only part of it. She was secretly tormenting herself with Rafe.

Over and over, Alison always managed to think of Rafe when she was trying not to. When it was cold first thing in the morning and Alison would pull the covers up over her head, she'd think about Rafe and his twenty layers of clothing he always wore. It brought a smile to her face. When Jack bought Livvie a bouquet of pink roses, he smiled at Alison and gave her one. Alison, of course, couldn't help but think of Rafe then.

And the most annoying thing was the fact that Alison was finally coming to terms with what was going on. She had been in denial, but she knew that she couldn't deny it any longer. She was in love with Rafe.

Yes, _love_. But this was crazy! It was absolutely absurd. Rafe was an angel! Alison would have conversations with herself in her mind, going over and over how ridiculous it was to even think of having a relationship with someone who called "home" heaven!

And then, there was Jamal. As the days went by, Alison was slowly coming to realize something that she had known for a while now. Things with Jamal were changing. They weren't the same anymore, and Alison didn't think they could get back to where they were before. And even if they could, Alison wasn't so sure she really wanted to.

This was the hell Alison was going through, tormenting herself with thoughts of Rafe and Jamal and Rafe and Jamal and Rafe, Rafe, Rafe…it had to stop! She needed to get her mind off of it. But of course, that was never possible. Because it was then that Alison looked ahead and saw Rafe.

Rafe was sitting on the park bench, still wearing her scarf, and the twenty layers of clothing as usual, writing feverishly in his journal.

Alison watched him unnoticed and smiled. He was so cute, writing in his journal. Alison didn't know of many guys who actually kept journals. Alison thought it was endearing. She didn't want to disturb him, so she waited until he finished writing to go over to him and say hello.

"Rafe," Alison said.

Rafe looked up at the sweet sound of Alison's voice. "Alison! Hey, it's…it's so good to see you."

Alison joined Rafe on the bench. "What are you up to?"

"Oh…nothing, just clearing my head."

"Me too."

"How are you? I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, I know. I've been sort of a recluse. But I'm…I'm doing better."

"Did you work things out with Jamal?"

Alison nervously pushed her hair behind her ear. "I…I haven't spoken to Jamal yet. I'm still staying at Jack and Livvie's."

"Oh," Rafe said. "Well…well maybe you should uh…you should call him. It's been a few days now. You don't want to go for too long without talking to him. You need to talk so that you can work things out and—”

"Rafe. Rafe!" Alison interrupted him. "I don't want to talk about Jamal."

"Oh. Well, okay then. We won't talk about…what's his name."

"Thank you. I just…I just really wanted to clear my head and stuff, so that means not dealing with, like all that right now."

"I understand."

"Are you doing anything now?"

"I'm sitting here talking to you," Rafe joked.

Alison laughed. "No, I mean, do you have any plans for today?"

Rafe smiled. "I'm free."

"Well good! You can help me then!" Alison lit up.

"Help you with what?"

"I need a distraction."

"Is that what I am?"

"Oh, no, I didn't mean it that way!" Alison apologized. "I mean, you're my friend, and I love to spend time with you. It makes me happy. That's what I meant."

Rafe smiled. "Well in that case, I'd love to be your distraction."

"Great!" Alison hopped off the bench and grabbed Rafe's hand. "Let's go, Angel Boy!"

~*~*~*~

For the next few hours, Rafe and Alison did anything to kill time. They got some hot chocolate at Kelly's. They did some walking on the docks. And now, they were wandering around aimlessly at the mall.

"Please tell me I'm not boring you!" Alison said.

"No, no! I'm having a great time! It's a pretty great mall."

"Oh, that is so cool! Jamal _hates_ going shopping with me!"

"Who?" Rafe asked.

"Oh, yeah, oops. We're not talking about him, right?" Alison corrected herself.

"You seem to know this mall pretty well."

"I practically lived here during high school."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah. You didn't know me then, Rafe, but I was very materialistic. I was such a spoiled brat, the biggest you've ever seen!"

"I find that hard to believe."

"Well it's true. But I've grown out of that. I like to think that I've really done some maturing over the last year or so."

Rafe smiled at her again.

"OH!" Alison suddenly exclaimed.

"What? What?"

"Okay, that thing about me being mature and all? Well just forget I said that!" Alison suddenly grabbed Rafe's hand and pulled him into a store.

"What…" Rafe asked, confused. And then he realized where Alison was taking him. A toy store.

Rafe laughed hysterically. "I haven't been in one of these for a long time!"

"Neither have I, but haven't you secretly wanted to go back in one since you became an adult?"

"To be completely honest, I feel like I'm still a kid at heart," Rafe admitted.

Alison laughed. "I think we all feel that way, at least once in a while. Well come on!"

Alison grabbed Rafe's arm again and she practically ran up the first aisle. They gazed at the toys and pointed out the ones they liked or ones they remembered from their childhoods. Rafe picked up a big bear and when Alison wasn't looking, he made the bear sneak up on her. Alison laughed and then Rafe handed her the bear.

"Okay, I'm starting to feel a bit out of place," Rafe said after a while. "I think some of the kids are staring at us."

"Oh, who cares?" Alison said and threw a pink ball at him. "Nice catch!”

Rafe threw the ball back and walked over to the tricycles. There was one that was pink and purple and had white tassels hanging from the handlebar. "Hey look, Alison, it's the perfect bike for you."

Alison playfully hit him in the shoulder. "Oh, whatever."

And it wasn't as if they had really planned on buying anything, but Rafe couldn't resist getting Alison a little stuffed animal. They left the store with grins on their faces.

~*~*~*~

"OH! Rafe, this color is so YOU!" Alison held a green sweater against his chest. "Okay, we're getting this for you too." Alison added the sweater to the pile of clothing that Rafe was already holding.

"Um, Alison?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm just wondering…these clothes…I mean, they're all for me and…are you trying to tell me something? Don't you like the clothes I have?"

Alison laughed. "Oh, Rafe, of course I do! I just think we all need a change in fashion every now and then. And seriously, Rafe, I know it's cold in Port Charles, but you don't have to dress in like, twenty layers all the time!"

Rafe laughed. "Alright. But we're going to get you something too. How about some nice gown? I'm paying."

"Alright, deal, we'll get me a gown. But first…we've got to go look at the shoes. Rafe, I hate to tell you this, but those boots have got to go!"

Alison ran off with Rafe trying to catch up with her. "Hey, what's wrong with my boots?"

~*~*~*~

"What now?" Rafe asked after they had walked past the same stores in the malls three times already.

Alison looked across the street and smiled. "A movie!"

"A movie?"

"Yeah, how 'bout it?"

"Sure. But uh…no vampire movies, please."

Alison laughed. "We can see anything you want to see."

"Okay, then I'm going to go see the movie that you want to see."

"Rafe! Come on, you decide."

"No, you're the one that needs distraction. You pick."

In the end, they both decided to go with the romantic one. It never occurred to Alison that she was resting her head against Rafe's shoulder in the darkened movie theater. Rafe could hardly keep his eyes on the screen.

 


	6. Chapter 6

originally posted 2-24-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

6

~*~*~*~

It was already a little after ten p.m. when Rafe and Alison suddenly realized that their stomachs were grumbling. They had been having so much fun all day that they had forgotten to eat dinner, and then of course, it didn't help that they had stuffed themselves with junk food at the movies earlier that afternoon.

As they walked around the downtown section of Port Charles, they came upon the _Waffle House_.

"Hey, that's open. Why don't we go grab a bite there?" Rafe suggested. "Is the food good?"

Alison shrugged her shoulders. "You know, I've never actually ate there before, but I've always wanted to. It's been in Port Charles like, forever."

"Well, you've been introducing me to new life experiences. Why don't we experience this one together?"

Alison smiled. "Okay!"

So the two walked in. They were a sight with the goofy grins on their faces and the shopping bags in tow. Rafe and Alison chose the table by the wall. Everything in this place was yellow, even the chairs.

The waitress was a large woman with vibrant red hair in a bun and a nametag that said "Shirley" on her vest. She chomped vigorously on some gum. She gave Rafe and Alison a big toothy smile as she walked over to the booth they were seated at.

"Aww, aren't you two a cute couple!" She turned to Alison. "What can I get for you, darlin'?"

Alison glanced over at the menu quickly. "Um…I'll just have some blueberry waffles, with lots of syrup. And some…and some coke."

Shirley took the order down on her notepad. Then she turned to Rafe. "And how about you, angel face?"

Alison held back her laughter.

"Uh…" Rafe thought. "I'll just have what she's having."

"Alrighty! Two orders of blueberry waffles comin' right up!" She said cheerfully and scooted off behind the counter.

Alison looked at Rafe and burst into laughter.

"Are my wings showing?" Rafe whispered.

Alison just laughed again.

"It's good to see you smile," Rafe said.

Alison blushed. "I've had a really great time today, Rafe. I can't believe we spent like, the whole day together."

Rafe laughed. "It was fun."

"What was your favorite part?"

Rafe thought. "Hmm, the movie."

"Mine too," Alison said.

A few minutes later, Shirley came back with their food. She gave them another big smile as she set the food down on the table. "Have you two been here before?"

Alison started to answer but Shirley cut her off.

"Oh yeah, aren't you those teenagers that used to come here all the time a few years back? Oh my goodness, look at you! You two have certainly grown up, especially you, darlin'!" Shirley said to Alison.

Alison shook her head. "Oh, no, we've never been here before. That must have been someone else."

"Are you sure? I swear, I would recognize you two anywhere!"

Rafe smiled. "No, this is our first time here."

Shirley frowned. "Oh. Well I swear, you two look awfully familiar. Hmm, well maybe it was in another lifetime, huh?" Shirley laughed. "Enjoy your food!"

"That was a little odd," Rafe said.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Alison said. "Well, I'm starving!" Alison took a bite of her waffle, as did Rafe. The both shook their heads in agreement. They were the best waffles they had ever had, hands down.

~*~*~*~

"Rafe, you didn't have to walk me back…"

"Alison, for the last time, I wanted to. And besides, it's really late. I wouldn't want to take the chance of something happening to you."

Alison smiled. "You're really sweet, Rafe. Thank you for today."

"You're welcome."

Alison stood at the bottom of the steps, gazing into Rafe's eyes.

They both paused for a moment, both wanting to kiss but at the same time, holding back.

Rafe leaned forward ever so slightly, and Alison closed her eyes.

Then Rafe caught himself and pulled away. "I should go!"

"Uh…yeah. And I should…I should get back inside."

"Yeah, Livvie and Jack are probably worried about you."

"Okay."

"Okay," Rafe repeated.

"Goodnight, Rafe."

"Goodnight." Rafe smiled at her and then took off quickly.

Alison inhaled deeply and walked up the front steps and into the house.

"ALISON! THANK GOD!" Livvie exclaimed and ran over to her. "Where the hell have you been? I've been trying to call you but your cell phone was turned off!"

"Oh, I must have forgot to turn it back on after the movies."

"Is that were you've been this whole time?"

"Alison, thank god you're back!" Jack said as he walked into the living room.

"You guys! What is wrong with you? I'm just fine. Why are you so worried?" Alison asked.

"We're worried because we are your friends and we haven't seen you since breakfast! My god, Alison, we thought something had happened to you! You could have called! Where were you?"

"We thought you might have gone to work out things with Jamal. We didn't call him because we didn't want to risk disturbing you, and then, we didn't want to worry him," Jack explained.

"You guys! Look, I'm sorry I worried you. I'll call next time, okay? I just spent the day having some fun and I sorta lost track of time, that's all."

"Well, sorry we got all freaked out," Livvie said. "But we're your friends so we're going to worry about you anyway."

Alison smiled. "I'm sorry. Won't happen again. Well, I'm beat, so I'm off to bed. Goodnight," Alison said and headed for her bedroom.

"Goodnight," Livvie and Jack said.

After Alison got dressed and ready for bed, she took out her shopping bags and browsed through some of the things from the mall. She took out the little brown bear that Rafe had bought for her. Alison smiled at it and put it on her pillow. Then she took out her new gown. It wasn't too extravagant, but it would be nice for a simple dinner party.

As Alison sorted through her new things, she suddenly came across something that wasn't hers.

"Oh, this is Rafe's stuff," she said softly. "I must have picked up his bag by accident." Alison picked up the bag from the bed and put it against the wall. She was about to walk away from it without giving it a second thought until she noticed something brown and leathery inside of it. Alison peered over the bag to take a closer look. She suddenly realized what it was…Rafe's journal.

Alison took the journal out of the shopping bag.

_Rafe's journal!_ Alison thought to herself.

Alison ran her fingers along the spine of the book. Alison was a curious person by nature. She couldn't help it. She always had to know! And she had been extremely curious as to what kinds of secrets her favorite angel had been writing about so much lately. Alison slowly started to open it, but then she slammed it shut.

_No, Alison! No! That's wrong! That's really, really wrong, and you should be ashamed of yourself for even considering it. Rafe's your friend, and you should respect his privacy. It's Rafe's. Okay? It's his private journal, and to read it would be very bad._

"No, I won't do that," Alison said softly. "But…a little peek wouldn't hurt…no!" Alison closed the journal again.

_Don't do it, Alison._

"No, I won't read it," Alison whispered. "But…if I…say, accidentally saw some of it, that wouldn't be bad, would it?" Alison then dropped the journal to the floor. "Whoops."

The journal fell to an open page, and Alison smiled. "I'll just…I'll just pick it up very slowly and then…and then close it, slowly."

And as Alison reached for the journal, she gasped. Seven words caught her eye:

_I think I'm in love with Alison._

 


	7. Chapter 7

originally posted 3-1-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

7

~*~*~*~

Alison literally felt like the wind had been knocked out of her and her heart skipped a beat. Seeing the words, "I think I'm in love with Alison" was the last, the very last thing she had expected to see. And seeing those words, the words "love" and "Alison" in the same sentence, it made her feel so…so…excited.

And of course, Alison couldn't stop reading there. She had to know more. She had to know what else Rafe had to say about her.

And what Alison found were pages and pages going more than a month back, and Alison saw her name in every entry. She looked through the journal to find the first entry where her name was mentioned. She read about how he saved her that night at the monastery and about the time she found out he was an angel. She couldn't help but smile as she read the entry Rafe had written after the light show on the bridge. "So that's why he pulled away from me," Alison said to herself. Of course! Rafe had been in love with her and he had wanted to kiss her.

Another surprising revelation Alison made was how much of a talented writer Rafe was. In several of his entries, Rafe had written poetry. Poetry all about love and desire. Poetry about feeling and emotion. Poetry, Alison believed, that was all written with her in mind. Alison read one of them aloud.

_"How can I describe what I feel?_   
_When I've never felt this way before?_   
_It's like, every time I look at you, my heart skips a beat,_   
_And I can't think coherently, I stutter, not knowing what to say._

_You have this strange effect on me,_   
_And I think I'm starting to realize what it is._   
_It's love._

_With every smile you make, every breath you take,_   
_The way you curl your blonde locks around your finger,_   
_And spin it around so that I can smell your flowery shampoo,_   
_And the warmth of your embrace, I feel a rush of blood pulsing through my veins._   
_It's love._

_Just to hear you laugh, just to see you dance,_   
_To see you dance in a falling shower of pink rose petals,_   
_I'd give you all the pink roses you ever wanted,_   
_I'd give you the world, I'd give you everything._

_It's love I think._   
_I think I'm in love with you._   
_I know I'm in love with you._   
_Heaven was never this good._   
_I'd rather spend an eternity with you._   
_If only you were mine."_

Rafe's touching words literally brought tears to her eyes. She felt like she was seeing right into his very soul. But it wasn't until she had read Rafe's entry from New Year's Eve that she truly realized the depth of Rafe's feelings for her.

"I told Alison that my being back was a sort of a bonus, that now I would be able to experience the joys of life, but this time, without the powers. But that of course, is not the truth. I asked to come back, I begged to come back. Even if it meant giving up my angel powers forever, I had to fix what I didn't fix before. Alison's happiness means the world to me and if I have to give all that up just to come back to her, I don't care, it's worth it. I have to help Alison and Jamal get back together and work out there problems. Ha! Rafe, stop lying to yourself! You know that's the not real reason you came back. The real reason is because you can't stop thinking of Alison. Okay, it's true. Okay? I admit it. I can't help it. I just want to be with Alison, near Alison…because I'm in love with her."

Alison reread the entry again, making sure that she was understanding him right. "He gave up everything for me," Alison whispered. _He's not here because he was sent back, he asked to come back. He asked to come back to be with me._

And after reading that, Alison knew that things would never be the same.

~*~*~*~

The next morning, Alison left the house before Livvie and Jack woke up. She left them a note because she didn't want them to get all freaked out like they did last night.

Alison walked through the park. She kicked the snow on the ground. Even snow made her think of Rafe. Alison sat down on a bench and put her head in her hands. She wanted to cry. She was confused. Very, very confused. She wanted someone to just come and tell her what to do. Should she go for it with Rafe, especially since she knew he felt the same way? Even though the idea sounded completely absurd, she knew that, but could she really fight these feelings? And Rafe couldn't stay here on Earth forever could he? But still, why was this feeling so strong? Should she end things with Jamal?

_Oh my god, what am I thinking? End things with Jamal? I never ever thought I would even consider that! He's my first love, and Rafe is an angel! Why do I have these feelings for him? What's wrong with me?_

And now, Alison did feel the tears come. Tears from frustration. Tears from confusion. This was too much for her to handle. _God, please help me! What should I do? I'm so confused and I don't want to hurt Jamal but I can't stop these feelings for Rafe and I don't know if they are wrong but I can't help but love him. Please, God, please, what should I do? Give me some kind of sign!_

Alison was about to get her sign.

Ed appeared on the bench.

"There's nothing I hate more than to see a pretty face with sadness all over it," he said.

Alison jumped at the sound of the man's voice.

Ed chuckled. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Oh…no. You didn't. I…I was just surprised. I didn't hear you sit down."

"I noticed. Love can be very confusing at times, can't it?"

Alison was taken aback. "How did you know that I…"

"How did I know that that's what you're upset over?" Ed finished for her. Alison shook her head. "Well," Ed explained, "in my line of work, you learn to recognize the signs. Trust me, I know all about how matters of the heart can leave you feeling nothing but confusion."

"Yeah, you could say that again."

"I know that you don't know me, but, would you like to talk about it? Sometimes it helps."

Alison suddenly felt very warm, like it was okay to talk to him. She didn't know this man, but he seemed so warm and kind. Alison felt like she could trust him.

"I have these…feelings for someone. You know, love feelings and stuff…and I know for a fact that he feels the same way about me."

"So what's the problem?"

"I can't be with him."

"And why is that?"

"I just can't," Alison sighed.

Ed knew he was going to have to try a little harder. "You're involved with someone else, right?"

Alison looked at him with an surprised expression again. "Yeah. How did you know that?"

"I told you, you learn to recognize the signs."

"It's not that I don't love Jamal, I do. I do and I…I always will. But…"

"But?"

"I don't know. Things just aren't the same anymore. And I'm finding it really hard to let go because, well because he was my first love and all." Alison laughed. "Listen to me! I'm talking about 'he was my first love' like it's in the past! He _is_ my first love. We're still together. And you know what they say, first love is your true love."

Ed smiled. "Well you know, if you believe that, and you never take a chance with anyone else, how will you know it's the truth? Are you sure Jamal's your true love?"

"I guess."

"You guess?" Ed urged.

"I know," Alison said.

Ed gave her a look, and Alison looked back at him. "I don't know," Alison admitted softly.

"Well perhaps you need to think about this. Listen to your heart. What's it telling you?"

"It's telling me that things are changing with my relationship with Jamal."

"What else?"

"It's telling me that I…I think I'm….I'm in love with Rafe."

"Then there's only one thing left to do. You need to tell this Rafe how you feel, and you need to tell Jamal too."

"I can't do that," Alison said softly. "It's not going to change anything. I still can't be with Rafe. Even if I end things with Jamal, that's not the problem. The problem is that I'm falling in love with a man that I can never have."

"Why is that?"

"It's complicated."

"How complicated?"

"Well you see, Rafe…he…he has like this, really special job, you know? A really important job. And I…I don't think his boss would like it so much if he…you know, got too personal with people and well, you know, mixed business with pleasure?"

"Oh, I see." Ed scratched his chin. "One of those bosses, huh?"

"Yeah. Only it's much more complicated than that!"

"Are you so sure that this boss of his would disapprove of you two getting close?"

"I don't know. I just don't know anything." Alison sighed.

"Well I'm sure things will work out for you, Alison."

Alison nearly jumped off the bench. She widened her eyes. "Oh my god! How did you know my name?" She demanded.

Ed just smiled. "You're Amanda Barrington's granddaughter, right?"

"Yeah. Do you…you know my nana?"

"No, I can't say I'm acquaintances with her, but I do know who she is."

"Oh."

"Would you like my opinion on all of this?"

"Sure," Alison said.

"Well, it's like this. Sometimes, people will be on one path. They know what they want to do, they know who they want to be with. Everything is perfect. But then one day, they suddenly realize that they have wandered off their path and are now in unfamiliar territory. They feel lost."

"Yes, that's exactly how I feel!" Alison said.

"Well, sometimes, those people find their way back on that path. They realize they just took a wrong turn somewhere and then they're back on track. And sometimes, they don't find their way back at all. But you know what the funny thing is? They eventually come to understand that that was the right path all along. Just think about it." Ed winked his eye.

Alison looked off in the distance and thought about what the man said. "Thanks for the advice, and for listening," Alison said softly. "Hey, I didn't get your…name." Alison looked in shock at the seat beside her was now empty.

"Where did he go?" Alison asked. She jumped off the bench and ran over to the bush, looking for where he took off, but there was no sign of the mystery man. Alison went the other way, and without even looking, ran right into someone.

Rafe.

Rafe smiled. "Hi, Alison."

"Rafe…" Alison said breathlessly.

"Our paths cross again," Rafe said with a smile.

"Oh my god! Why did you say that?" Alison demanded.

Alison's sudden behavior took Rafe by surprise. "Say what?" Rafe asked, confused.

"Paths! Why did you say paths?!"

"I was just making conversation. What, do people not say that phrase anymore? Geez, I didn't know I had been dead for that long…"

"Where's that man?" Alison interrupted him.

"What man?"

"That man! He was just here! Didn't you see him?"

"I didn't see anyone, Alison."

"He was right here though!" Alison ran to the bench and pointed to it. "He was sitting right there and we were talking and then the next minute I look and he's gone! It was like he vanished or something! You had to have seen him!"

"I didn't see anyone, Alison," Rafe repeated. "Sorry."

"Oh, okay."

Rafe gave Alison a look of utter confusion.

"I'm sorry, Rafe," Alison said. "Hey," she started over.

"Hey," Rafe smiled. "So what's up?"

"Oh, um…" Alison scratched her head.

"You know, I'm actually glad I ran into you. I think you have one of my shopping bags, you know, filled with all of those clothes you bought me?" Rafe laughed.

Alison just stared at him.

"Alison?"

"Oh! Yeah, um…um…yeah I have that. It's…here," Alison stammered. She went to the bench and picked up the bag and handed it to Rafe.

"Thanks!" Rafe said, relieved now that he got the bag back. It wasn't the clothes he was so anxious to get back, it was the journal he had been so dumb to have left in there.

"You're welcome," Alison said.

"Alison, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, I'm fine." Alison laughed. "What makes you thinks there's something wrong?"

"Uh, I don't know. You just, you just seem really nervous all of a sudden."

"Nervous? Oh, no! Why would I be nervous? No, I just…I have to be somewhere. I…I have to go!"

"Okay…"

"I gotta go! Um…I'll, I'll see you later!"

Alison dashed off as fast as she could.

"Bye, Alison," Rafe said. _Why is she acting like that?_ Rafe wondered.

 


	8. Chapter 8

originally posted 3-2-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

8

~*~*~*~

_1/9/02_

_Okay, time to panic. I just ran into Alison and she was acting very strange, so I'm panicking. I think she read the journal. That would explain why she rushed off so quickly, wouldn't it? She knows the truth and now she feels awkward around me. I'm so stupid! Stupid, stupid, STUPID! I'm such an idiot! I can't believe I was dumb enough to actually leave the journal in the shopping bag and then leave the bag with Alison! I must have left it at Jack and Livvie's last night and she must have picked it up after we said goodnight. I'm such an idiot. If I hadn't wanted to kiss her so much, I probably would have remembered it. Way to go, Rafe. Just leave the one thing, the one thing that is so private to you and that you can never tell Alison, just leave it with her. You know, you may as well have put a sign around your neck saying, "Alison, I LOVE YOU!" Such an idiot I am._

_Wait, maybe I'm overreacting about this. Maybe she didn't read it. The world doesn't revolve around you, Rafe. Perhaps Alison had something other than you on her mind, like Jamal for instance. You know, the journal was in a bag of clothes. It's possible it was hidden underneath them. Alison probably didn't even know it was in there. Yeah. I hope. But what if she did see it? She wouldn't read it, would she? Hmm, she was very tempted to read it the other day. And she read it before and questioned me about why the last entry was from 1991. Who am I kidding, if given the chance, she would read it. Okay, not that I would blame her. It's my fault for being so careless about the journal and it's not Alison's fault. If she read it, I wouldn't be mad at her. She's just curious, and that's one of the things I love about her. I was glad she found out I was an angel. It was nice to share that with someone and not keep the secret to myself. But oh god, if she finds out how I feel about her…like I said before, panicking._

~*~*~*~

Alison ran all the way back to Jack and Livvie's. This morning had been so strange. After finding out how Rafe felt about her and dealing with that, and the talk with that man in the park, then seeing Rafe. She hadn't expected that seeing Rafe would have that effect on her. Butterflies. Alison was hardly a shy person, but just seeing Rafe and remembering his words, it just left Alison absolutely speechless. She didn't know what to say or how to react, so she fled.

Alison caught her breath. She sat down on the porch for a moment and she thought about what she had to do. She knew what she had to do, it was just going to take a while to figure out how to do this.

Alison stood up and opened the door, and then she realized that she had no time to plan all of this out after all. She was just going to have to do it now. "Jamal," Alison said softly.

Jamal stood up from the couch and looked at her. "Ali."

Alison looked at Jack and Livvie, standing in the living room. They walked over to her.

"We just thought we'd let you guys talk," Jack explained.

"Yeah, we're just going to do that," Livvie said. "We think you really need to speak to each other."

With that, Jack and Livvie put on their coats and left the house, leaving Jamal and Alison alone.

~*~*~*~

"Hi, Rafe!" Serena said cheerfully.

Rafe looked up from his journal and quickly closed it. "Serena, hey, how are you? Wait, shouldn't you be in school now?"

"No, it's still break. I have to go back tomorrow though. Ugh," Serena scowled.

"Oh, that's too bad. You're not here by yourself are you?"

"Oh no, I'm here with Mom and Christina. Mom!" Serena called out.

Lucy looked at the direction of her voice and when she saw Rafe, she waved and ran right over.

"Hi, cousin!" Lucy said cheerfully and sat down. I didn't know you were here!"

"Well it's seems like everyone runs into each other in the park, doesn't it?"

"I wanna swing!" Christina said.

"I'll go take her," Serena offered and went over to the swings with her little sister.

"So, cousin, what's going on?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, nothing."

"Oh, nothing, eh?" Lucy gave him a look of disbelief. "So, did you think about what we talked about the other day?"

"What?"

"Oh stop playing Mr. Innocent with me! You know what I'm talking about! The girl you have an eye for! I told you to just go for it! So did you?"

"Sorta."

"And?" Lucy asked impatiently.

"It didn't work out, Lucy."

"What do you mean it didn't work out? Humph! I don't believe that! You mean to tell me that some girl actually turned you down? Who is this girl? Hmm? Who is she because I would like to meet her and tell her how crazy she is not to want to take a chance with you and—”

"Lucy, Lucy!" Rafe interrupted. "That's not exactly what happened. It just…Lucy it's complicated. I don't want to talk about it."

"Oh no, you're not dodging the subject from me that easily!"

"Mom!" Serena and Christina ran over to Lucy. "Can we go get some hot chocolate now?"

"Oh, oh that's right we were about to do that. Rafe, would you like to join us?"

Rafe smiled. "Maybe another time. You have fun though."

"Some other time, huh? Hmm, I think you're just avoiding our little conversation! Well come on girls, let's get going." Lucy picked up Christina. "Rafe, we _will_ talk about this later."

"Alright, Lucy," Rafe gave in.

"Bye, Rafe," Serena said.

Christina waved.

"Ta!" Lucy said.

"Bye," Rafe said.

Rafe stood up from the bench and took a deep breath. Then he gathered his things and went home.

~*~*~*~

"Jamal, I'm glad you're here because…I needed to talk to you." Alison took her coat off and set her things down.

Jamal walked over to Alison and took hold of her hands. "Baby, I need to talk to you too. Come on," he said and led her over to the couch.

"I haven't heard from you in a couple of days," Alison said. "I thought you would have come by sooner."

"I know, Ali. I'm sorry about that. I've been busy the last few days and also, I just wanted to give you some breathing room. I hated the way we left things. We were so angry with each other and Ali, I don't ever want to feel that way again towards you."

"Jamal…"

"Alison, you were right. I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Valerie. I didn't realize how it was affecting you and I should have, and I'm sorry for that."

"Is that why you've been busy? Busy with Valerie?"

Jamal shook his head. "Yeah. It's not what you think though," he added quickly. "Look, Val, as you know, is going through a really hard time. She went into a deep depression, Ali, and I was worried about her."

"Is she going to be okay?"

"In time, she will. I talked to Valerie, and we both agreed that maybe she needed to go away for a while. So I drove her to this clinic a few hours out of town."

"You mean, a mental clinic? Like Ferncliff?"

"In a way. It's not exactly like Ferncliff. It's more of a rehabilitation center. She's going to get the help she needs there."

"Oh, well that's good. I'm glad she's going to get the help she needs."

"So look, I was thinking, it's really lonely at the apartment. I miss you, Spunky. Can we just put this behind us and, can we just go home?" Jamal smiled at her.

Alison didn't answer. _Spunky_. The name that Jamal lovingly called her all the time brought tears to her eyes.

"Ali, what's wrong?" Jamal asked, concerned.

Alison wiped her eyes with her fingertip. "It's not that simple anymore, Jamal," Alison choked out, fighting back her sobs.

Jamal put his hands on Alison's arms. "Alison, please tell me you forgive me. You're not still upset over Valerie are you? I explained it to you."

Alison shook her head. "I'm not upset over Valerie."

"Well baby girl, what is it? What's wrong?"

Alison wiped her eyes again and swallowed her sobs, finally composing herself. "Jamal, there's something I have to tell you."

"Ali, you can tell me anything. What is it?"

"It's about Rafe."

"Alison, no, we don't need to talk about this. Look, I know you've been spending a lot of time with the guy, and that's my fault. I wasn't there for you so you turned to Rafe. But look, I'm not upset over that, okay? Whatever happened, I'm not upset about it. It's in the past. Let's just forget it and move on."

"No, Jamal, I have to be honest with you, because lying and keeping secrets, Jamal, that's not right."

"Alison…"

"No please, let me finish. Jamal, you're right, I have been spending a lot of time with Rafe lately. A lot of time. And he was there for me when you weren't…"

"Alison, I'm sorry about that," Jamal said. "Look baby, that was a big mistake on my part, not being there for you…"

"Jamal, I'm not mad about that. Look, you were just doing what you needed to do. Valerie needed you and you felt an obligation to help her, and that's okay, I'm over being upset about that. But listen to me, when you were helping Valerie, Rafe, he helped me."

"Okay," Jamal said. "I understand that, he helped you out. Alison, that's not a big deal."

"Yes it is, Jamal. It's a big deal because…I…I kissed Rafe again."

"Alison, look, I don't want to hear about this."

Alison fought back her tears. "I know you don't and I'm sorry, but we need to talk about it, Jamal."

"Alison, I don't care that you kissed Rafe. Okay? Look, it's like I said before, I know you were upset and you turned to him. That's okay, and I don't blame you for that."

"I know, Jamal, but I'm really scared."

"Alison, why would you be scared? You kissed the guy, so what? It didn't mean anything, right?"

"Jamal, I'm scared because…I liked that kiss."

Jamal felt his heart break. The one thing that he was afraid of happening, the one thing that he was hoping Alison wouldn't say. "Alison, what are you telling me?"

Alison started to cry. She wiped her eyes some more. "I kissed Rafe, and I really liked it."

Jamal took hold of Alison's hands. He swallowed the lump in his throat and asked the question. "Alison, are you in love with him?"

Alison looked up at him with her wet eyes. "I don't know," she whispered. "I think I am." Tears streamed down her face.

"Alison…" Jamal whispered, feeling his own eyes tear up.

"I'm so sorry, Jamal," Alison said through her sobs. "I…I didn't…mean for it to happen. It…it just did."

"Spunky, no," Jamal said, crying.

Alison put her hands to her face and cried into them.

Jamal pulled her hands away from her face and looked into her eyes. "Are you telling me that you don't love me anymore?"

"No, Jamal. I do still love you. Just…"

"Alison, please, we can work through this."

Alison shook her head.

"Alison, let's just go home. Okay? Let's go home and we will talk about this."

Alison shook her head again. "No, Jamal."

"Don't say it, Ali. Please don't say it," he begged.

Alison sobbed. "I think we should take a break from each other, Jamal."

"No, Alison!" Jamal pleaded.

"It's not fair to you, Jamal. It's not fair to you. I'm so sorry." Alison buried her head into her hands again and cried.

Jamal rested his head on her lap and cried. "No, Ali," he begged. "Not after all we've been through."

"I'm sorry," she cried again. "Jamal, please understand."

Jamal got to his feet. Tears were soaking his cheeks. "No, Alison," he said through his sobs as he walked out the door.

As soon as the door closed, Alison buried her face into the couch cushion and sobbed loudly, the image of Jamal's hurt face burned in her memory forever.

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

originally posted 3-4-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

9

~*~*~*~

Alison sat up on the couch. A few stray tears tickled her cheek as they fell down her face and to her chin. Alison felt so alone. The house was empty. It was cold. Alison wanted someone to hold her more than anything. So she got up from the couch, grabbed her coat, and went to go see the one person in the world who made her feel safe.

~*~*~*~

Rafe hadn't been back for very long when he heard a light knocking on the door. His first guess was Lucy. Lucy had promised to badger him again about his mystery girl, the one Rafe knew he would never have. Rafe told himself to stop thinking about that because it would only make him sad.

Rafe opened the door, and what he saw literally brought tears to his own eyes. Alison stood outside with the saddest expression on her face.

"Rafe…"Alison cried and ran into the comfort of his arms.

They stayed like that for a few moments, with Rafe holding her tighter as Alison's sobs grew louder. "I…I broke…up with…with…Jamal," Alison whimpered.

"Let's get inside," Rafe said softly and closed the door. Alison took off her coat and she followed Rafe to the couch.

"I broke up with Jamal," Alison repeated as fresh tears fell down her face.

"Alison…" Rafe said, but he soon realized that Alison was in no mood to talk. Alison buried her face into Rafe's shirt and they sat like that on the couch for a long time, with Rafe just holding her and Alison continuing with her inconsolable crying.

After a while, Alison finally stopped and tried to compose herself. Rafe handed her a tissue for her to blow her nose. Rafe's heart broke at the sight of Alison's beautiful blue eyes all red and tired from crying. "Alison, did he do something to you?"

Alison wiped her eyes and shook her head. "No. I just…I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Is this about Valerie?" Rafe asked. "Is that what happened? Did you two have another argument about that?"

"Um…yeah. Yeah, that's what it was. We got in this fight about Valerie and I broke up with him," Alison lied.

"Are you sure you two can't work this out? I mean, you and Jamal have been through so much and for you to break up over something like this…"

"Rafe, we can't work it out, okay? It's over. It's…my god! Jamal must hate me!"

"What? Why would he hate you?"

"Oh, Rafe, you should have seen the look on his face when I told him I wanted to break up. It was like I told him his best friend had died or something! God, I'm such a bitch!" Alison started crying again.

Rafe put his arms around Alison. "Alison, it's going to be okay. It'll be okay, alright?"

"He probably hates me for ending it. It's all my fault," Alison sobbed.

"No, Alison."

"Was that really stupid of me?" Alison looked into Rafe's eyes, wanting an answer. "Do you think that was stupid of me to break up with Jamal?"

"I think, Alison, that if you're not happy with Jamal, then leaving him was the right thing, if that's truly what you feel in your heart. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just hold me, Rafe," Alison replied.

So Rafe did.

"My own personal guardian angel," Alison said softly as she fell asleep.

~*~*~*~

Rafe awoke to the sound of a ringing phone. He quickly reached over to the table and grabbed it, hoping it didn't wake Alison. It didn't fortunately.

"Hello?" Rafe said groggily.

"Rafe? It's Livvie. Is Alison there?"

Rafe looked down at Alison, who was resting against his chest. "Yeah, she's here, but she's sleeping. She was really upset and I…I think she really needs the rest."

"Oh, okay, I just wanted to make sure she was all right. I was worried about her because she just took off."

"Do you know about…"

"Yeah, Jack and I ran into Jamal earlier and he told us. Rafe, will you just…just keep an eye on Ali, will you?"

"I will."

"Okay, thanks. Bye."

"Bye." Rafe hung up the phone.

~*~*~*~

Rafe sat on the chair in the living room and watched Alison sleep on the couch. He was so worried about her. She had been sleeping for hours, and when she woke up, she would only eat just a little soup. Then she claimed that all the crying had given her a headache so she went back to sleep.

Rafe got out his journal.

_The whole plan is falling apart. This plan of mine to get Alison and Jamal back together, it's not going to happen. I tried so hard to get them to work things out, thinking it would make Alison happy, but I guess I was wrong. Being with Jamal is clearly not what Alison wants, at least not anymore. I finally see that. But, I don't think I've made a mistake in coming back. Everything happens for a reason, right? There's some reason I'm back. I was wrong about the Jamal thing, yes, but I'm glad I'm back. Now, I'm going to make sure that Alison gets that happiness she deserves. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do. I guess I'll just be here to comfort her like I am right now. That seems to be what Alison needs._

~*~*~*~

It was getting late. Late and dark. Rafe looked out the window and shivered. It was pretty cold outside and snow started to fall.

Alison stirred a little on the couch, but she was still sleeping.

Rafe picked up the phone and called Livvie.

"Hello?" Livvie answered.

"Livvie, it's Rafe."

"Rafe, how's Alison?"

"She's pretty much wore out. Look, it's late and looks like a storm is starting. I think Alison should stay here tonight. She's still sleeping anyway."

"Yeah, okay, that's a good idea. It sounds like she's had a pretty rough day and I'm glad she's finally getting some rest."

"Yeah, I think it's best for her."

"Do me a favor. Will you have Ali call me sometime tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"Okay. Thanks for calling, Rafe."

"You're welcome. Bye."

Rafe hung up the phone and walked over to Alison. Being as careful and gentle as he could, he picked up Alison and carried her to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed. He pulled the covers down and wrapped her up. Rafe gave Alison a tender kiss on her forehead.

Just as he was about to leave the room, he heard Alison's voice.

"Rafe."

Rafe turned to the sound of his name. "Yeah?"

"I lied to you." Alison didn't know what it was, this sudden courage that came over her, but she knew if she didn't just tell him now, she wasn't so sure she would have the guts to later.

Rafe sat down on the bed beside Alison, and she sat up. "What do you mean?"

"I…I lied to you about Jamal."

"Jamal? What, you mean, you didn't break up with him?" Rafe was confused.

"No, I meant I lied to you about why I broke up with him. I let you think it was all about Valerie. That wasn't it at all."

"Well…what was it?"

"I'm…I'm in love with you, Rafe." The words were out, and Alison knew there was no turning back now.

"You? You…you're…you're in love with me?" Rafe stuttered.

"I read your journal," Alison quickly said. "I read your journal, Rafe. You had left it in that bag of clothes and I…I found it, and I read it. I'm sorry I read it, Rafe. I know that was wrong and an invasion of your privacy and stuff but, Rafe, you feel the same way about me. When I found that out I just…I had to stop lying to myself. I'm in love with you, too."

"You're in love with me?" Rafe asked again. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Alison smiled at him and shook her head yes. She almost laughed at the look of pure shock and excitement on Rafe's face. Alison cradled her hands around his face and brought her lips to his. They kissed.

"I can't, I can't believe you feel the same way about me," Rafe said softly.

"Shh," Alison said with a smile and leaned forward for another kiss. Alison put her arms around Rafe and they laid down under the covers. Rafe put his arms around Alison and she rested her head against him. Then, they feel asleep in each other's arms.

 


	10. Chapter 10

originally posted 3-9-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

10

~*~*~*~

Rafe woke up with a smile on his face. His first thought was that this had to be a dream. But when he opened his eyes, he realized that no, it wasn't. Alison…she was in love with him.

Rafe wanted to just stay right here under these warm covers with Alison in his arms, but he wanted to surprise her too. He thought about the last time Alison spent the night. She had made him breakfast. Rafe decided that he would be the one to get breakfast ready this morning. And Alison would probably be really hungry since she hadn't eaten much the day before.

So Rafe slowly got out of bed without waking up Alison and worked on his surprise.

~*~*~*~

Alison felt disheartened when she awoke and realized that Rafe was gone. She looked around and saw a note on the bed.

_Alison,_

_I hope you weren't disappointed when you woke up and saw I was gone. Don't worry, I'll be back real soon. I went to go get us some breakfast. Don't go anywhere._

_Love,_

_Rafe_

Alison smiled as she ran her fingers across the ink. "He's so sweet," she said. "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere," she laughed. And for the first time in what seemed like a long time, Alison didn't have a worry on her mind. She wasn't stressing about Jamal or Valerie. She didn't have that nagging problem of what to do with her feelings for Rafe. She had finally just dealt with that and stopped lying to herself. Alison knew today would be a much better day now that all of the stress in her life just seemed to fall off her shoulders overnight.

Alison got out of bed and went to the living room, but Rafe was not back yet. Alison suddenly felt very uncomfortable in her wrinkled clothes from yesterday that she was still wearing and had slept in. Alison decided to go take a shower while she waited for Rafe to return.

~*~*~*~

"Rafe, you're back," Alison said with a smile as she walked into the kitchen.

Rafe had just finished putting the food out on the table. He couldn't help but grin at her. "You look so beautiful."

Alison blushed.

"Oh, good morning," he said.

"Morning," Alison said, smiling at Rafe as she walked over to him. "What's all this?"

"Um, it's breakfast," Rafe said. "I uh, I figured since you made breakfast for me last time, I would return the favor. It's food from the _Waffle House_."

"Oh really?" Alison grinned bigger.

"Yeah, you should have seen that waitress, Shirley, remember her? Well, she was excited to see me. She says hello."

Alison laughed.

"Oh, and I picked up something else for you." Rafe went over to the counter and picked up a vase with pink roses in it. "These are for you. I put them in some water."

"Oh, Rafe…" Alison said as she took the vase and inhaled them. "They're beautiful. Why don't we um…put them on the table?"

"Good idea," Rafe said. He took the vase and put it in the center of the table.

"Well, you thought of everything, I'm starving!" Alison said.

Alison started to sit down.

"Oh, let me," Rafe said and pulled out her chair.

"Thank you," Alison said. Her jaw was starting to ache from all of this smiling she was doing.

Rafe took his own seat beside Alison. "I hope you're in the mood for blueberry waffles. I got the same thing we ordered the other night…what?" Rafe stopped talking to look at Alison. She hadn't touched her food yet, she was just staring at Rafe with this beautiful smile on her face. "What? What is it?"

"This is really sweet of you, Rafe," she said.

"Oh," Rafe smiled. Then he looked up and was surprised to see Alison leaning forward. She placed a little kiss on his lips. Rafe blushed, a little shy with all of these new feelings he was experiencing.

"I didn't know angels could turn that red," Alison teased as she picked up her fork. "Well, this looks delicious!"

"Well then let's eat," Rafe said with a little laugh.

Rafe hadn't been too hungry, but Alison wasn't lying when she said she was starving, and Rafe watched with gentle amusement as she finished the last of the waffles. The two had a pretty much silent breakfast, except for the occasional silly laugh when they would catch each other's gaze.

~*~*~*~

"You feeling better?" Rafe asked Alison as he held her hand and walked her over to the couch.

"Mmm-hmm," Alison replied and sat down. "Much."

"Good."

Rafe was still holding Alison's hands. The two smiled at each other and laughed softly, both of them wondering who would be first to say something.

"We should uh, talk about last night," Rafe finally said.

"Yeah," Alison agreed.

"I just, I can't believe it. I think I've been in love with you for so long that it just…it just surprised me to find out you feel the same way."

"Rafe, I've been fighting my feelings for like, weeks. The first time I think I realized it was the night of that light show on the bridge. I could have sworn that you were about to kiss me, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. And when you kissed me in the apartment, I didn't fight it. It was so nice. When you left, on Christmas Eve, it was like, I don't know. I just missed you so much. I was so happy when you came back to me."

"Alison, maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"What are you talking about?"

"Alison, you know I can't stay. You know I'm only here for a little while."

"When do you have to go back?" Alison suddenly began to worry. She hadn't thought much about that.

"The end of March."

"Oh, Rafe, that's months from now. It's the beginning of January."

"Yeah I know, but, Alison…"

"Rafe, look, you're only here for a little while, and I want to spend as much time with you as I possibly can before you go."

"I just don't want to hurt you, Alison. When I leave…"

"Shh," Alison quieted him. "Let's not think about that now."

Rafe agreed as he put his arms around her and they kissed some on the couch.

~*~*~*~

Later that morning, Rafe and Alison laid down in the chair together with their arms around each other.

"Rafe, we're going to have so much fun in these three months that we have," Alison promised.

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm-hmm. The snow will be around for a while longer, so we'll make some more snow angels."

Rafe laughed.

"And I guess the Waffle House has become sort of a thing with us so I guess we'll go there often."

"Shirley will be excited."

Alison laughed. "And oh, we'll go see all the good movies together. And we'll take walks in the park…" Alison smiled as she thought about the kinds of things they would do together during the time they had.

"And we'll have fancy dinners."

Alison looked up at Rafe with a confused expression. "Oh really?"

Rafe laughed. "How about tonight? You could, you know, wear that dress I bought you."

"Rafe Kovich, are you asking me out on a date?"

"Yes, I am. So, what do you say?"

"I say yes! My dress is at Jack and Livvie's though, so I'll have to go get it."

Rafe noticed the smile fall from Alison's face. She looked like she was thinking about something serious. "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking. I guess I'm going to need to move out of the apartment. I need to find somewhere to stay."

"Livvie and Jack won't let you stay with them?"

"Well I can't stay there forever. And besides, I don't want to put them in the middle of all this. They’re Jamal's friends too, you know. It would just…it would just be too awkward for me to stay there. I'll have to like, find an apartment or something. If I can't do that, then I may have to move back in with my nana."

"I may have an idea."

"What?"

"Well, you know, since you have to find a new place anyway, I could help you if you want. But until then, until you can get your feet back on the ground…well, you could stay here if you like. I mean, I'm sure Lucy won't mind. And…" Rafe stopped talking when he saw Alison smiling at him. "What?"

"Really? I could move in with you?"

Rafe smiled. "I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't like having you around. It would be nice. What do you say?"

Alison smiled. "How soon can you clear out some closet space for me?"

Rafe laughed and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed her.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I wrote this chapter before I knew Ed was Rafe’s father. You’ll learn more about the history I created for Rafe in this chapter…

originally posted 3-10-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

11

~*~*~*~

Alison emerged from the bedroom. "Rafe."

When Rafe looked at Alison, he literally had to catch his breath. Alison wore her hair up and she looked incredible in that scarlet red dress.

"Oh…wow," Rafe said breathlessly. Alison laughed. Rafe walked over to her and took her hands. "You look absolutely beautiful." He kissed her hands. "I knew that dress would look great on you, but I had no idea you would wear it so well."

Alison blushed. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself. You look great in a suit."

Rafe smiled. "You ready to go?"

"Mmm-hmm." Alison shook her head and laced her arms around Rafe's. "So, where are we going?"

"That's a surprise."

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh?" Alison asked.

"Yes, that's how it's going to be," Rafe laughed. "You'll love it, trust me."

"I'm sure I will," Alison replied.

Rafe helped Alison put her coat on, and then they walked out the door to go on their date.

~*~*~*~

"Well, this is it," Rafe said.

Rafe had taken her to this quaint little restaurant called "The Cottage". It was small, and very romantic. Candles illuminated the tables, and it wasn't too busy tonight. Soft music played in the background.

"Rafe, how did you know about this place?" Alison asked as she looked around with stars in her eyes. Rafe took that as a good sign.

"I asked Shirley where was a nice romantic restaurant I could take you, and she suggested this place. Why, have you been here before?"

"My parents, this is one of their favorite restaurants. When I was little, they would always come here. I always wanted to go with them, but they would never let me. They said it was only a place for grown-ups. No kids allowed. It's funny, I see children here though," Alison laughed softly.

"If you want to go somewhere else…"

"No, Rafe." Alison smiled at him. "I've always wanted to come here. I never knew it was so beautiful inside. Let's stay."

"Okay."

The hostess soon came and led them to their table by the window. From the window, they could see out onto the harbor. When the waiter came, he handed Alison a pink rose. Alison looked at Rafe and smiled, knowing that he had somehow planned that.

~*~*~*~

Rafe and Alison had been having a wonderful dinner together. And while many people on "dates" usually had a hard time finding things to talk about, that wasn't the case with Rafe and Alison. They talked for hours.

"I feel like something's different about me," Alison said. "I feel like I'm entering this new phase of my life. It's like, all my life, it seems I've been dependent on other people, my parents, my nana. And I even felt in a way that I was dependent on Jamal. But now, it's just me for myself. On my own. And now I'm going to make my own decisions."

"So what do you want to do?"

"I was thinking that maybe…no, it's silly."

"What, tell me?" Rafe's curiosity was piqued.

"No, I don't want to," Alison shied away.

"Oh come on," Rafe persisted gently. "You can tell me."

"Oh, oh right," Alison gave up. She smiled at Rafe. "When I was a little girl, I was really lonely. My parents were always away on vacations or whatever and my nana was always busy with some charity guild meeting. And I didn't have that many friends to play with. Nana wouldn't let me out of the house much, she wouldn't have me 'associate' with children she thought were 'unsuitable'. So I ended up spending a lot of time with Sally. She was my best friend."

"Who's Sally? Family dog?"

Alison laughed. "No, she was our cook!"

"Oh!" Rafe laughed. "Sorry, I thought maybe you were referring to some kind of pet."

"That's okay. So anyway, I was always hanging out in the kitchen with Sally. She was so nice too. She was the only person in that house that would really listen to me, you know? Well anyway, Sally taught me everything I know about cooking, I mean everything! She taught me how to bake cakes and bread and muffins of course. Omelets and French toast, everything. Well, for my eighth birthday, she bought me one of those Easy Bake Ovens. Do you know what those are?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think so."

"Well it's like this little oven, and it's this actual oven. You plug it in and it has these little tiny trays. It comes with these little packet of ingredients, and you mix them up in the little tray and slide it in this little oven. And it heats up the food with like, this light bulb or something! It takes a long time to cook, but if you had just tasted the little brownies I had made with that, you would say it was worth the wait."

"I can totally see you making food with that," Rafe laughed.

"That was my favorite present! So anyway, I would get all of my stuffed animals together and they would be my customers."

"Customers?"

"Yeah. I had to have customers at my shop! I called it 'Alison's Bakery'. I'd dream of growing up and having my own bakery like that all the time."

"So what happened?" Rafe asked when he noticed Alison wasn't smiling so much anymore.

"Well, Nana took my easy bake oven away. She said it was a silly thing to play with and that I didn't need to waste my time learning how to cook when I could just grow up and hire a cook when I got older. She told me it was better to focus on things like my piano lessons or ballet lessons or you know, my 'princess' lessons," Alison added sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, Alison."

"No, it's okay." Her smile returned. "Nana didn't really take it away. I found out she just put it in the attic. So I would sneak up there and play with it. But then a few years later, our grouchy maid Agnes cleaned out the attic on my nana's orders and it got thrown out or something."

"Alison..."

"That pretty much squashed all of my dreams. Until now I guess. I've been thinking a lot about it lately and you know, I shouldn't let my nana stop me from my dream. Maybe I could someday open up my own bakery. And who cares what Nana has to say about it, right?"

"I think you could do it, Alison."

"Really?"

"Yeah. In fact, I know you can. Port Charles needs a really good bakery."

Alison smiled. "So what about you, angel boy?"

Rafe looked up from his plate of food. "What do you mean?"

"Well I told you my dream. Why don't you tell me yours? Or at least, what your dream was."

"I didn't have one. The title of 'vampire slayer' was pretty much written on my business card the day I was born."

"Well I know that you really focused on that, but, Rafe, there had to be something else that you dreamed about. I mean, what if you weren't protecting the world from people like Caleb? What would you have liked to do instead?"

"No, I don't want to say…"

"Oh come on, Rafe! I told you mine! Tell me yours!"

"Well, okay. I guess there is one thing. I've always had a thing for writing, especially poetry."

"I know," Alison said. "You write beautiful poetry, Rafe. I uh, I read some of your poems in your journal. They were really good."

"Nah, you're just saying that," Rafe said shyly.

"No, I'm not! Rafe, you are a very talented writer. You are."

"Thank you."

"So how did you get so good at writing?"

"Well, I was a lot like you when I was a kid. I was lonely. I didn't have many friends because my family was too busy training me to be a slayer. My father passed away when I was pretty young, killed in the line of duty you know. And my mother was so depressed about my father dying and she was awfully sick. She passed away when I was only thirteen."

"Aww, Rafe, I'm sorry."

Rafe smiled. "Oh don't worry, they're just fine. They're together in heaven now, I've seen them."

"Oh right."

"So anyway, my Uncle Martin, my mother's brother, he sort of took over my father's duties and started training me, day and night, all of the time. And my mother was always pushing me too. She wanted me to avenge Caleb after what he did to my father. And I was just a kid you know. It's not that I didn't put forth effort in what I was doing. I knew it was an important job. It was what being a Kovich was all about. It's just that I wanted a normal life too. So I would often go away out in the woods and spend some time alone there. There was no one for me to talk to except myself, so I guess that is how the whole journal writing thing got started. And that's why I love to write I guess. It's just something I've always done."

Alison smiled. She liked hearing Rafe talk about his childhood.

Rafe looked across the room and saw a young couple dancing. It gave him an idea. "Hey, would you like to dance?"

"I'd love to," Alison replied.

Rafe stood up and walked over to her. He offered his hand and she took it. They started to dance.

"Sorry, no floating tricks this time," Rafe said. "But I wish I could."

"That's okay, I don't think you need them. I already feel like I'm floating." Alison smiled at him.

As they danced to the song, Rafe pulled Alison closer to him and kissed her rosy lips.

When the song was over, Rafe and Alison were still dancing, with Alison's eyes closed and her head resting on Rafe's shoulder.


	12. Chapter 12

originally posted 3-23-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

12

~*~*~*~

"Livvie, thanks for coming with me. I don't think I could do this alone."

"It's no problem," Livvie said.

Alison smiled and took out her key. She opened the door and looked around.

"I don't think Jamal is here," Livvie said.

Alison breathed a sigh of relief. "Well let's hurry up then." Alison went to the closet and got out a few boxes. She handed one to Livvie. "Will you um…will you get my things from the bathroom?"

"Sure."

Livvie watched as her friend took the other box and started putting CDs in it. Alison paused as she picked up one. She realized it was one of Jamal's so she put it back.

"Alison?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Livvie."

~*~*~*~

Alison had just about got all of her things together.

"I think that's it," she said as Livvie put a few remaining shirts in a box.

"Okay, well I can go put this in the car."

"Alright, thanks. I'm going to double check and make sure I have everything."

Alison walked around the apartment. It looked considerably bare without her things in it anymore. It was sad in a way, but Alison knew this was the way it had to be. Alison picked up a picture of she and Jamal on the end table. A picture of them in their happier days together. "I'm sorry, Jamal," she said softly. "It has to be this way."

"Alison?" Livvie said. "Was there anything else?"

"Just these boxes," Alison said and pointed to the counter.

"Ali, are you crying?"

Alison realized she was still holding the picture of her and Jamal. She put it back down. "I'm just a little emotional." Alison sat down on the couch.

Livvie walked over to her and sat down beside her. "Hey, are you going to be okay? I'm worried about you."

"I'm just dealing with a lot of things right now. It's like I'm closing this really big chapter in my life, you know? I never thought the story would end, but suddenly, it has."

"Ali, are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. It's sad but…but it's time to move on. We've grown too far apart to find our way back to where we were before. I don't ever regret it though. If it wasn't for Jamal, I don't think I would have ever learned how to love. But like I said, it's time to move on."

"Sweetie." Livvie looked at Alison. "Look, you're my friend, and I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I have to ask."

"Ask what?"

"Are you sure that moving in with Rafe is such a good idea? Because, Ali, you can stay at our house. Jack and I wouldn't mind."

"Livvie, I'm not going to put you two in the middle of this."

"You wouldn't be putting us in the middle."

"Yes I would, Livvie, at least I would feel like it. And moving in with Rafe, it's my decision. And it just…I don't know, it just feels like the right thing to do. We have these feelings for each other and he's leaving soon. We've decided that we're just going to spend as much time as we can together. We'll enjoy the time we have."

"Alison, exactly how close have you and Rafe become? You haven't…you know?"

"We haven't slept together, Livvie. We've kissed though." Alison smiled. "And we went on a date last night."

"How was that?"

"It was nice. Livvie, I know this is really hard for you to understand. Believe me, it's hard for me to understand too. That's why I'm pretty much just following my heart. I want to be with Rafe, even if it's for just a short time. We're just going to see what happens. And I know it's crazy but…I'm not going to take the chance of missing out on something that could really be wonderful."

Livvie smiled and took Alison's hand. "Alison, you're right, I don't really understand this at all. I'm afraid that when Rafe has to leave, and Alison, you know he will eventually, I'm afraid of what it is going to do to you. You've been through enough heartache already."

"Livvie…" Alison started.

"But look, I know that for some reason, Rafe makes you happy. And if being with Rafe is what you want, and it makes you happy, then I'm going to support you. I want you to be happy, Alison."

Alison smiled. "You mean that?"

"Of course. I'm your best friend, and I wouldn't lie to you." Livvie smiled and she and Alison hugged. "Well, are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am," Alison said and the two women stood up. "You can take that box and I can take…"

Livvie looked at Alison when she stopped talking. Then she looked at the doorway.

Jamal.

"Jamal…" Alison said softly.

"I didn't know you'd be here," he said, obviously surprised to see her.

"Um, well I'm about to leave. I was just getting…"

"Oh, I see, you're moving out? Hey, that's cool. I understand. Look, I'll just go…"

"But, Jamal…"

"Bye, Spunky," Jamal muttered and left the apartment in a hurry.

"He won't even let me get a word in he's so angry with me," Alison said.

"Why don't we just go?" Livvie suggested.

Alison shook her head. "Okay."

~*~*~*~

"Where do you want me to put these?" Rafe asked as he carried some of her boxes into the house.

"Um, anywhere, I don't really feel like unpacking right now."

"I'll just put these in the bedroom then," Rafe said.

"Okay." Alison smiled.

"Alison?" Livvie walked into the door. "I'm leaving now."

"Okay, thanks for helping me pack my stuff up."

"Listen, you call me if you want to talk, okay?"

"I will. Thanks for listening, Livvie," Alison said and hugged her friend.

Rafe walked into the living room. As Livvie walked to the door, she whispered to Rafe, "Take good care of Alison."

"I will," Rafe promised.

Then Livvie left.

"So, did you get everything you needed?" Rafe asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Alison nodded.

Rafe could tell by the look on her face that something was on her mind. "What's wrong?"

"I saw Jamal. He came in just as Livvie and I were leaving and he couldn't get out of there fast enough. I really hurt him, Rafe. He wouldn't even listen to me."

Rafe walked over to her and put his arms around her. "Hey, it's okay."

"But I feel so bad about that…" Alison mumbled into his shoulder.

"Alison, I'm sorry I messed things up."

Alison looked into Rafe's eyes. "Hey, what are you talking about?"

"Well I just mean, it was me who came between you two, and if it hadn't have been for me coming back, you and Jamal would still be together and…"

"No, Rafe, don't apologize."

"No, I'm not apologizing for the way I feel about you. I could never be sorry about that. I'm just sorry if I caused you any pain or confusion."

"Aww, Rafe, no. Look, it's not like either of us planned on this, you know? These feelings we have for each other…it just sort of happened. And that is nothing to be sorry about. Okay?"

Rafe smiled at her. "Okay." Then he kissed Alison.

"What's that smell?" Alison asked, gently pulling away from the kiss.

"Oh, you noticed."

"Well how could I not? It smells delicious!"

Rafe laughed. "Well I figured that you would be hungry when you got back."

"Dinner?"

"Mmm-hmm," Rafe said. He took Alison's hand. "Follow me."

Alison laughed. "Rafe Kovich can cook? I didn't know that."

"Well I can cook a few things…"

Alison looked at him skeptically.

"Okay, I ordered in," he admitted.

Alison laughed again. "Well I'm sure it is going to be wonderful…" Alison gasped as she walked into the dining room. "Rafe…" Rafe had dinner set out on the table illuminated by nothing but candlelight. The pink roses were the centerpiece. Soft music played in the background.

"I take it you approve?"

"I love it. I feel a little underdressed though with my jeans!"

"Oh, no you look beautiful. Casual wear only tonight."

"Okay," Alison grinned. "Well this is perfect because I was just starting to get a little hungry." Alison walked to the table, and Rafe pulled out the chair for her as usual. Alison melted, he was such a gentleman.

"There you go," Rafe said and went to his own seat.

"This looks really lovely," Alison said.

"You look lovely, too."

Alison blushed. It didn't matter that Rafe had said that about twenty times already today, it still made her go weak in the knees. "So um, what gave you this idea for dinner?"

"You did."

"I did?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking about how much you loved our dinner last night and I thought I'd make you smile again."

And Alison was smiling.

"I also thought about what we talked about, and I got inspired."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean what you said about my writing, how you liked my poetry. So I got inspired. I wrote something for you."

"You did?" Alison's heart skipped a beat.

Rafe shook his head. He took out a folded pieced of paper from his pocket. He unfurled the paper and looked at Alison. He didn't really need to look at the poem because he had already had it memorized, but he decided it would be best to keep it out, just in case he got nervous and forgot a line.

_I once thought only angels lived in heaven, but I was wrong,_   
_Because the day I met you, I knew they were here on earth as well._   
_You have such a warm and caring heart, Alison,_   
_And how lucky am I to have been let into this heart of yours?_

_You may not realize it, but you have changed me,_   
_I always heard about love, but never once had I experienced it,_   
_Until now._   
_You let me into your heart, and these incredible feelings came rushing out,_   
_It's all you, Alison. You've made me feel alive, even more so than I ever was,_   
_And for that, it's hard to put into words how blessed I feel,_   
_How fortunate I feel to have you,_   
_And your love._

Alison couldn't help the tears that fell down her cheek. "Rafe," she said softly. "That was so beautiful." And she truly meant that. "No one has ever written such beautiful poetry for me."

Rafe didn't know what to say. He blushed.

Alison got up from the table and went over to Rafe. "Dance with me," she said.

And when Rafe stood up, Alison took him into her arms and kissed the living daylights out of him.

 


	13. Chapter 13

originally posted 3-26-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

13

~*~*~*~

Rafe let out a very mischievous laugh as he crouched behind the bush and rolled a ball of snow between his hands. He waited for Alison to come back from throwing away their empty hot chocolate cups. The moment Alison came back, Rafe would get her.

And suddenly…

"OH!" Rafe felt cold snow hit his face and heard the sound of female laughter.

"Rafe Kovich! Did you really think you could fool me? I knew exactly what you were up to!" Alison teased.

Rafe got up from the ground and gave Alison a look that had her headed off in the opposite direction, running and laughing the whole time.

Rafe ran after her.

"NO!" Alison screamed.

Rafe caught her.

"Ahh!!" Alison screamed again. "Why do you always do this to me?"

Rafe had picked her up and carried her over his shoulder. "You asked for it, Alison!"

"Put me down! Ahh! No please, Rafe! No, no, don't!"

"Sorry!" Rafe then dropped her on a soft pile of snow. Cold, wet snow. Her clothes were soaked. Then Rafe pinned her down.

"Rafe!"

"You asked me to put you down!" Rafe teased. "What are you going to do? Huh?" Rafe laughed. "You can't get up!"

"Rafe Kovich, you did that on purpose! And now I'm all wet! Let me up!" Alison screamed but laughed at the same time.

"What if I don't want to?" Rafe smiled. as he laid down on top of her and put his lips directly on hers.

"Oh…" Alison mumbled and returned the kiss.

The kissing went on for a few moments until it was interrupted by the sound of a child's giggle. Rafe and Alison paused from their liplock long enough to realize that Christina was standing directly over them. She stood watching them with her tiny hands over her mouth.

"Kissy!" the girl pointed and laughed.

And next to Christina was Serena, who was grinning widely. And right by Serena was Lucy, who had a look of absolute shock, surprise, and excitement on her face.

In the next second, Rafe and Alison were on their feet. This was all really embarrassing. They had been acting like children…and they were so busted.

"Lucy…" Rafe stuttered.

"Hi, cousin. Alison."

"Um, hi, Lucy," Alison said, turning quite red. She looked away from Lucy's gaze.

Lucy gave Serena a look, and that gave her the cue to take her sister to the swings and let them talk. Lucy turned to Rafe and Alison with a huge smile on her face. "What's going on here?"

Rafe scratched his head, searching for words. "Um, well we were just, um…"

"Rafe and I…" Alison tried to help, but she was clueless too on how to explain just what was going on.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Knew what?" Rafe was almost afraid to ask.

Lucy playfully hit her cousin in the shoulder. "Oh you know what I know! I knew a girl was the reason you decided to stay in Port Charles and you wouldn't tell me who she was! But I had a feeling and I was right! It's Alison, of course!" Lucy touched Alison lightly on her face and then did the same to Rafe. "Ooo! Ooo I just knew it! Ooo look at the two of you! You're so cute together! I just knew I saw something between you two, ever since the night of my wedding to Doc…"

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other.

"…and seeing you dancing together and I saw this look between you that I couldn't explain…until now. It all makes sense now! Well? Aren't you going to tell me anything? How did this happen?"

Rafe laughed. "Well we will if you would let us get a word in edgewise."

"Very funny," Lucy remarked.

"Lucy, you're right." Rafe smiled at Alison. "There has been something between Alison and I and well, it just took us a while to finally realize it."

"We're in love, Lucy," Alison admitted.

"Oh, you guys! Oh I'm so happy! I'm so happy for the both of you!" Lucy, caught up in her excitement, hugged Rafe and Alison. "Oh! I just had an idea! This works out so perfect!"

"What?" Rafe and Alison asked.

"Well Doc and I had rented a cabin this weekend and we were going to take the girls there for some sightseeing, but well…my husband has the most perfect timing in the world. He picks this weekend to get sick with an absolutely miserable cold! Can you believe that?"

"Oh, that's awful. I hope he feels better," Alison offered.

"Thank you, me too. Which is really where the girls and I were off to anyway. We were going to bring him back some soup from Kelly's. But anyway, I was going to call the lodge and have them cancel our reservation since we can't make it now, but I don't have to after all!"

Rafe could practically see those wheels turning in Lucy's head. "What do you mean?"

Lucy grinned. "What do you think I mean? Why don't you two take the cabin? It'll save me a lot of trouble by having to cancel and all. The trip is on me! My present to you cousin, and you Alison."

"Oh, Lucy, you don't have to do that, it's nice but…"

"Oh, Rafe! I want to do this! No, this is perfect. You two are so adorable together. I want to do something special for you, my treat. Please! Take the cabin and enjoy yourselves! It would make me so happy!"

Rafe smiled at Alison, and Alison smiled back. Rafe looked at his cousin. "Alright, Lucy, if it means that much to you."

"It does mean that much to me! I love you very much, cousin, and I am so glad that now you are as happy with Alison as I am with my Doc! Oh, speaking of which, he's at home in bed with a fever so we better leave!"

"Okay, thanks, Lucy."

"Yeah, thank you, Lucy. And please send Kevin our get well soon wishes," Alison said.

Lucy gave Rafe and Alison a quick peck on their cheeks. "I will. Alright, ta! Come on, girls!"

"Bye, you two!" Serena sang as she walked past them and made kissing faces.

 


	14. Chapter 14

originally posted 3-27-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

14

~*~*~*~

"Lucy said it was beautiful here, but I didn't know it would be quite this breathtaking," Rafe remarked as he got out of the car and took in the view.

"Oh it's so peaceful here," Alison beamed.

The cabin was pretty much secluded in a forest. Over the snowy treetops, the sky was colored with purple and orange hues from the sun just setting. And over to the right, there was a calm lake.

A chilly wind blew and Alison shivered. She wrapped her coat tighter around her. "It's a bit cold though!"

"Well let's hurry up and get our stuff out of the trunk and get inside."

Alison and Rafe quickly got their things, with Rafe carrying most of the heavy stuff. Then they headed to the cabin door and walked in.

Rafe switched on the lamp and he and Alison put their things down. Alison walked around the cabin. "Oh, look, Rafe! The wooden floor squeaks when you walk over the boards! I love that! And it smells good in here too. It's so quaint looking!" Then Alison wandered into the kitchen. "Oh and look at this cute little kitchen!"

Rafe laughed. "Nice fireplace too. I'll go get some firewood and warm this place up."

"Alright. I think I'll check out this kitchen and see if I can whip up some dinner for us."

So Rafe went to get firewood, and Alison started to prepare dinner. The cabin warmed up quickly once Rafe got the fire started, or maybe that was because of something else, Rafe wondered. He watched Alison as she hummed to herself as she stirred something in a bowl. Rafe got up from his seat and walked into the kitchen. He stood behind Alison and wrapped his arms around her and proceeded to kiss her neck.

Alison laughed because it tickled her just a little bit.

"That smells wonderful," Rafe whispered.

Alison laughed again. "What are you talking about? I haven't started the actual cooking yet. What is there to smell?"

"I was referring to you," Rafe laughed and buried his nose into her hair.

"Oh, you must be smelling my Herbal Essence then!"

"Must be," Rafe whispered and kissed her neck again.

"Hey now, don't get me wrong, I am enjoying this, but if you continue to distract me, I'm afraid dinner will never be cooked!"

"Okay," Rafe said reluctantly. He sat down at the table and watched her from there. She was so beautiful.

~*~*~*~

After dinner, Rafe volunteered to clean up, since Alison had been the one to cook. Alison walked over to the window and looked outside. She smiled as she noticed something.

"Hey, Rafe."

"What?"

"It's snowing. Come look."

Rafe walked over to the window, and sure enough, it was snowing lightly outside.

"It's so pretty," Alison said. "And look, little tiny snowflakes are stuck to the window."

"Well it's pretty to watch, but makes me glad we're inside." Rafe wrapped his arms around Alison.

"Where it's warm." Alison looked up at Rafe, and they kissed.

"Speaking of which, let me go put some more wood on the fire."

"Okay."

Alison followed Rafe and she sat down on the couch. She realized Rafe left his watch on the cushion. Alison had forgot to wear her watch, and she wondered what time it was. So she picked it up and opened it.

"Oh my god!"

"What? What?" Rafe jumped. "What's wrong?"

Alison held the watch up. "I just…Rafe, what in the world is this?"

"Oh, that. It's my watch."

"A watch? Funny, I don't tell time with thirteen numbers…and backwards!"

Rafe sat beside Alison and took the watch. "Well it's not that kind of watch. The numbers are backwards because it's counting down. And it doesn't count down hours or minutes, it counts down weeks."

"Oh…um, I still don't understand." Alison laughed.

"Well you see, every angel that comes back gets one of these."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute…you said you were leaving at the end of March, right?"

Rafe shook his head.

"And this has thirteen numbers on it, and you got here on New Year's Eve. So this is…."

"Counting down the weeks I have left…on earth."

"Oh." Alison wasn't so excited by the unusual watch anymore.

"Hey, just put this out of your mind." Rafe put the watch away in his pocket. "Let's not think about it. Okay?"

"Okay," Alison agreed. "Okay, you're right. We're at this beautiful cabin in the middle of nowhere, and we've got the entire weekend to enjoy ourselves and…to make the most of the time we have together."

"Right, so let's not waste that time by thinking of things that we can't change."

"Agreed."

Rafe reached out and touched Alison's chin. "Have I told you today how beautiful you are?"

"Oh, not in the last twenty minutes or so!" Alison laughed and moved closer to Rafe. They kissed. "How about I put on some music?"

"Okay."

Alison got up from the couch and got out the CD player they had brought. "Any requests?"

"Whatever you want is fine."

Alison put on a CD and music started to play. On her way back to the couch, she turned off the lamps. "That's better."

Rafe pulled Alison into his arms and they melted into a kiss.

The fire crackled in front of them. It warmed the room and gave it a soft glow.

Rafe buried his face into his favorite spot on Alison's neck and kissed her. Then he inhaled the sweet aroma that surrounded her.

"Rafe…" Alison said softly.

Rafe moved his lips back to meet Alison's. He felt like he couldn't get enough of her. He never thought he would have a chance to love Alison, but here they were, finally together. This is what Ed was talking about all along, Rafe thought to himself. Anything is possible with love. And love was such a wonderful experience too! Never had Rafe felt so alive, and to finally know what love felt like was more wonderful than words could describe.

Rafe's hands slowly went up the length of Alison's blouse until he found the top button. He undid it. Then he went to the second button.

Alison felt a tingle of excitement go up her body.

Rafe hadn't realized what he was doing until he heard Alison moan. He immediately put a stop to what he was doing, even though the urge to continue was a constant reminder.

Alison sensed his nervousness. She smiled at him and moved her hands to his shirt. She undid a few of his shirt buttons, a way of letting him know that it was okay.

Rafe kissed Alison's lips as his hands found her blouse once again. "Alison…" he whispered against her breath, "I'm not sure we should, I mean, if we…"

"Shh, shh, shh. Don't think about any of that, remember?" Alison silenced him with more kissing.

Rafe gently pulled away from the kiss and held Alison's face in his hands. He looked into her eyes and saw the love he felt for her reflected back. Alison smiled and shook her head, answering the question Rafe asked without words. Rafe smiled back at her and stood up. He gathered Alison into his arms and carried her to the bed…

 


	15. Chapter 15

originally posted 3-31-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

15

~*~*~*~

Rafe had never felt more nervous in his life, or rather, afterlife. But it was almost like he didn't even need to think. He just let his emotions control his actions, and so far, that hadn't failed him now. He gently laid Alison down on the bed and laid down beside her, caressing her face and lips with kisses.

Alison's breathing suddenly became very labored, and thoughts, feelings, emotions that she had held back for so long…she would finally be able to just release them, and it was such an incredible feeling! She couldn't believe this was about to happen! The man, the angel that she couldn't help but fall in love with, was about to make love to her, and Alison couldn't wait.

Rafe smiled at the woman below him, the woman who had stolen his heart and taught him how to love. Her eyes sparkled at him. He undid the last remaining buttons on her shirt and opened it up, revealing her tummy and her pink bra. He leaned down and kissed the spot above her naval, and then went up until he reached her chest.

Alison wiggled her arms out of her sleeves while Rafe kissed her. Then she reached up and finished unbuttoning Rafe's shirt. She slowly slid the shirt over his shoulders, and she grinned when she saw his muscular chest.

Rafe put his hands under Alison's back and searched for the clasp to her bra. He finally found it, and after a little work, it came undone. For his first time of undoing a bra clasp, Rafe felt he did a pretty good job. But he was too nervous to take it off of her. The gravity of the situation was finally hitting Rafe.

Alison helped as she slid the bra off herself and threw it across the room. Alison laughed when she did that, and that made Rafe laugh too. He looked down at the woman below him and kissed her bare chest.

Alison felt dizzy, lost in her own thoughts of her and Rafe. Every touch was like fire. Every kiss was like heaven! In fact, she suddenly realized that while she was thinking of Rafe, he had already removed his pants and had pulled down the bed covers.

"Rafe," she whispered seductively. Rafe looked down at her, sprawled out on the bed with her blonde hair all around her. Alison gave him a seductive look and Rafe watched as she unzipped her own pants. Then she stopped. She gave Rafe that look again. Alison put her thumb under the hem of her pants and acted as if she was having a hard time removing them.

Rafe got the hint. He took hold of her pants and slid them off her hips. And the only thing left were her silky Victoria Secrets panties. Rafe gently took them off as well and Alison watched as they slid down her legs and fell to the floor. Rafe inhaled sharply.

There was only one thing left. Rafe had thought he would be nervous, which he was of course, but not as nervous as before. He felt comfortable with Alison, and he felt the nervousness just slip away. He watched as the woman he loved gently pulled down the boxers from his body. She added them to the pile of clothing on the floor, and she giggled as they slipped between the sheets.

"Rafe," Alison whispered against Rafe's lips. Rafe stopped his kisses for just a moment. "Rafe," Alison whispered again in a raspy voice. "I love you."

Rafe touched Alison's face and ran his finger along her lips. "I'll love you forever," he told her with a smile, and then resumed his kissing.

Rafe continued to let his emotions control him. At first, he had lingering thoughts of _am I doing this right?_ But as he made love to Alison, those thoughts went away as he heard her softly moan in pleasure as she whispered his name repeatedly, "Rafe…Rafe…Rafe…"

~*~*~*~

After their lovemaking, the two collapsed in each other's arms, trying so desperately to return to normal breathing.

"Rafe…" Alison whispered very softly.

"Yeah?"

"Is this what heaven feels like?"

Rafe had to laugh. "This feels better than heaven."

Alison smiled at him and leaned forward to kiss him. Then, she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Alison could feel his heart beating. It was beating as fast as hers.

Rafe felt like his heart would burst right out of his chest! He never knew it could beat so fast. He looked at Alison's face. Her breathing was more calm now, and she was apparently already in a deep slumber, completely exhausted from what had transpired between them moments ago. She also had a smile on her face.

Rafe looked up to the ceiling and watched the shadows from the light of the fire. "Wow," he whispered to himself. Then they both drifted off to sleep, blissfully satisfied.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Originally posted 4-21-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

16

  
~*~*~*~

The next morning, Rafe awoke slowly. The first thing he could feel was Alison's warm body nestled against his, their legs intertwined. Rafe smiled, finally coming to the realization that last night was not a dream. Alison nuzzled her nose against Rafe's chest. She was waking up but was still half-asleep.

Rafe kissed her forehead and smelled her hair, relishing every single moment. Then he heard Alison mumble softly under her breath.

Rafe smiled at her, and Alison opened her sleepy eyes. "Mmm…hi," she said.

"Good morning." Rafe kissed her lips. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm hmm…sooo well."

"So did I. Just holding you, like this, in my arms. Last night was like a dream come true."

"It was better than any dream." Alison still had this huge grin plastered to her face.

"What?" Rafe laughed.

"I can't stop thinking about last night! We made love!" Alison squealed.

"It was amazing."

"It was incredible."

"I've never experienced anything that incredible before."

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other and kissed.

Alison shivered. "I'm cold."

"Well, let me warm you up then." Rafe pulled Alison closer to him.

"I love being here in your arms." Alison smiled at Rafe. He kissed her forehead.

The two rested for a few minutes, still trying to wake up.

Alison finally broke the silence. "Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I…can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"But you don't have to answer or tell me anything if you don't want to."

"What is it?"

"Well, I was just wondering…was I…was I your first?"

Rafe got a worried look on his face. "Oh no…was it that obvious? Was it bad or…."

"No! Oh no, no, no, no! No! Last night was amazing and…wonderful! Trust me, you did _everything_ right!"

"You're not just saying that?"

"I'm not just saying that. Rafe, everything about last night was perfect. So perfect. The only reason I was asking was that well, when I read your journal, you always said how you had never been in love before. And I was just curious. I'm not trying to embarrass you or anything."

"Well, you're right, Alison. I have never been in love…until now that is. And yes, you were my first. And no, I'm not embarrassed."

Alison smiled. "I think that's so sweet, Rafe. I think it's so sweet that you wanted to share that with me. It makes me feel so…special. And loved. Really loved."

"Well you are special. Don't you ever forget that. And I love you. You are so loved."

"Aww," Alison mumbled as she and Rafe melted into a kiss.

"So, are ya hungry?" Alison asked after a while.

"Starving."

"Me too. I guess we sorta…worked up an appetite or something last night."

Rafe laughed.

"I'll go make us something. Can I uh…wear your shirt?"

Rafe laughed again as he handed Alison his shirt. Then Alison slipped it on, gave Rafe one more kiss, then hopped out of bed and headed for the kitchen. Rafe stretched out on the bed and smiled, watching Alison across the room.

~*~*~*~

"Oh it's so cute!" Alison squealed as Rafe put the finishing touches on the snowman.

"It needs something else though." Rafe took the scarf around his neck and put it around the snowman. Alison laughed. "Now it's finished."

Alison smiled at him. "I had no idea you were so good at making a snowman."

"Neither did I." Rafe smiled back at her.

"Come on, let's take a walk," Alison suggested and took his hand.

They walked towards the pond and admired the reflection of the trees in the frigid water.

"It really is beautiful here," Alison said.

"Yes, it is," Rafe said, his eyes on her the whole time.

Alison caught his gaze and smiled. "What?"

"I just can't take my eyes off of you."

Alison blushed.

"You're blushing," Rafe laughed.

"I'm freezing too!" she laughed. "Maybe I need something to warm me up."

"Well why don't we go inside and you can make that fabulous hot chocolate of yours. That should warm you up in no time."

"Well, we could..." Alison trailed off. "Or, you know, there are other ways we could keep warm." Alison grinned at Rafe.

"Hmm, you mean this?" Rafe brought Alison's lips to his and kissed them.

"You're getting closer..." Alison said softly. "Race ya!" Alison suddenly took off.

"Oh no!" Rafe called back. "You aren't going to do that again!" He caught up with her and picked her up, eventually throwing her over his shoulder.

"Rafe!" Alison laughed hard. "You love doing this to me, don't you? You better not drop me!"

Rafe carried her into the cabin and set her down. Alison was still laughing. "I'd never let you fall," Rafe said. "You know I'd always catch you."

Alison smiled, and then they kissed.

~*~*~*~

Rafe sat on the couch by the warm fire, and Alison came up behind him and put her arms around his neck and shoulders. "Whatcha doing?"

Rafe held up his journal.

"Oh, are you writing poetry?" Alison joined him on the couch.

Rafe shook his head.

"Can I read it?" she asked excitedly.

"Well…" Rafe seemed hesitant. "It's not very good."

"Oh stop! It's good and you know it. So, can I?"

"Okay," Rafe gave in and handed her the journal.

Alison smiled at Rafe as she took the journal and read the poem aloud.

_As we slipped between the sheets,_

_My hand caresses your skin._

_My arm wraps around your waist,_

_And I bury my nose into your neck,_

_Breathing you in, kissing your rosy lips._

_Underneath the covers, are legs intertwine,_

_And for the first time, I feel truly happy._

Rafe turned red.

"Oh, Rafe…"

"It's kinda silly, I know it's not very good…"

"Rafe!" Alison playfully hit him. "Stop being so modest! This is beautiful. You're a talented writer."

"Oh…well…thanks."

"Really, I mean it, Rafe. You have this gift. I couldn't write anything like that. The only poetry I'm good at writing is stuff like roses are red and violets are blue!"

Rafe laughed. He took the journal back and set it down. "Come here."

Alison moved into his arms and they laid together on the couch. "This just feels so right."

Rafe kissed her forehead. "How did I get to be so lucky?"

"Well you know the answer to that."

Rafe gave Alison a look of pure confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well I just remember something you said once…sometimes good things just pop up when you least expect them."

"I said that?"

"Yeah. I remember something else you said."

"What was that?"

"That everything happens for a reason. So maybe you and me happened for a reason. Maybe it was fate."

"It was definitely fate," Rafe said with a smile. And then, he and Alison kissed and cuddled some more in front of the fire.

 


	17. Chapter 17

originally posted 5-4-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

17

~*~*~*~

"I don't want to leave this cabin," Alison said as she walked over to Rafe, laced her arms around his body, and kissed him. "This weekend has been so magical."

"No, not magical, Alison. It's been more than that. This is real."

They kissed again.

"But, we do have to go," Rafe reminded her.

"Aww, do we?" Alison complained.

"Yeah, afraid so. We have to be out of here in two hours."

"Okay. Let me just go hop in the shower real quick and I'll be ready as soon as I can." Alison kissed Rafe once more on the lips and dashed off to the bathroom.

Rafe smiled to himself, the feel of Alison's kiss still lingered on his lips. Rafe then gathered up a few of their things and headed outside to put them in the car. Just as he was closing the trunk, he had the feeling someone was watching him.

"That must have been some weekend you two had."

Rafe turned around to the familiar voice. "Ed, what are you doing here?"

"Just checking on you. I seem to have a soft spot for ya, kid."

"So you um, you know about what happened this weekend?"

"Yeah, I know. Don't worry though, I wasn't watching during any private moments. And I _know_ there were definitely some private moments." Ed winked.

Rafe blushed. "Well I guess you're going to give me the 'Ed Lecture' now, huh?"

"'Ed Lecture'?"

"Yeah, aren't you going to give me a lecture on how I shouldn't be getting so close and personal?"

"Hmm, no."

"No?"

"That's what I said, isn't it? Look, Rafe, this is your journey, and yours alone. It's your job to figure out what you need to do to complete it."

"I think I already have. I've already figured out what my journey is. It's to be in love with Alison! She's the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me, and I never got to experience love when I was alive. But now, it's like I'm getting this second chance, and I'm not going to take the chance of missing out on it! That's it, right? That's my journey!"

Ed smiled. "Could be. Have fun, kid." With that, Ed disappeared.

Rafe ran back into the cabin with a grin plastered to his face.

~*~*~*~

Going back to Port Charles was probably the hardest thing for Rafe and Alison to do. They had spent the entire weekend lost in their own little world in that cabin in the woods. But now, it was back to reality.

Back to a nosy Lucy.

Rafe and Alison walked through the door, dropping their luggage on the floor and kissing the whole time. Rafe shut the door with his foot. It was then that they heard someone clear her throat.

"I take it that you two enjoyed the cabin?" Lucy said with a smile.

"Lucy!" Rafe said, surprised. "We uh, we didn't know you were here."

"Well my car isn't here. Doc dropped me off because I had to get some things. He'll be back in a few. So? Tell me! How was it?"

"Lucy, it was incredible! Thank you sooo much!" Alison said.

"Yeah, cousin, we had a great time. I'm so glad you wouldn't let us take no for an answer."

"Oh, well good! I'm glad you had a wonderful time. What did you do? Did you check out the skiing slopes that I told you about? Oh! And Serena absolutely loves snowboarding there. And I think there is a great place for ice skating nearby. So how was all of that? Hmm?"

Rafe scratched his head. "Yeah, um, we didn't get out much, Lucy."

"Didn't get out much? Why?"

"Oh, well you know, Lucy," Alison started. "The fire was so warm and then I made this great hot chocolate. We just sorta cuddled by the fire most of the time. But we really did have a wonderful time." Alison looked at Rafe.

Lucy looked at Rafe, then Alison, then back to Rafe. She walked over to Rafe and inspected him closely. "Something's different about you, cousin."

"You've probably noticed how relaxed I feel now," Rafe smiled.

"No, that's not it."

A car suddenly beeped.

"Isn't that Kevin?" Rafe asked.

"Yeah, it is! Okay, I gotta go. Glad you had a wonderful weekend. TA!" Lucy left with a knowing smile on her face as she left. Rafe and Alison laughed and picked up where they had left off before Lucy interrupted them.

~*~*~*~

Going back to work at the Recovery Room was especially difficult for Alison. She had to go. She had taken off way too many days, and she really felt she owed Frank for covering her shifts for her.

The reason why it was so hard was pretty obvious. She had been spending so much time with Rafe that she hated to have to spend time away from him, even for just a few hours. Rafe wanted to come, but Alison told him that a) it would be really difficult for her to concentrate, b) he would be bored just sitting there watching her take orders, (Rafe disagreed), and c) she wasn't ready to answer everyone's questions, because after all, people had probably just found out she had broken up with Jamal.

Rafe said he would be waiting for her when she got back, and he would have some special surprise waiting for her. Alison smiled, saying that thought would keep her happy while she was at work.

But now that Alison was at work, she was realizing that it was pure torture being away from Rafe, especially after the weekend they had. She was _thisclose_ to calling him and telling him to come on over. Alison had been so preoccupied with thoughts of Rafe that it took her by complete surprise when she saw the very person that she was _not_ up for seeing now.

Jamal.

Alison had not even planned on running into him! Not now especially! She hadn't even thought of what she could possibly say to him. After all, their last encounter was when he found her at the apartment moving out.

Alison frantically bit her nails. She needed to get out of there. She quickly ran to the storage room and breathed a sigh of relief when she made it there without him noticing her.

"Get a grip, Alison," she told herself. "You're acting like such a baby! You can't hide in here forever, you know. Gosh, what am I going to say to him?"

"Alison?"

Victor's voice made Alison jump. "Oh, Victor, it's just you!"

"What are you doing in here?"

"What am I doing in here?" Alison looked around the storage room quickly. "I uh, oh, I was just getting some more napkins for the…for the tables of course!""

"Oh. Well I just thought I'd let you know that you have some customers waiting."

"Yeah, I'll get to them right away. Thanks." Alison laughed nervously as Victor left her. Great, now she _had_ to face him. She took a deep breath and emerged from the storage room. "You can do this, Alison," she whispered.

Alison walked over to the table. She cleared her throat. "Um…hi, Jamal. Can I get you anything?"

"Actually, I'm not here to eat. I was hoping I would catch you. Livvie said you had a shift tonight."

"Oh?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could talk, if you want to of course."

"Oh, okay, that would be fine. Um, look, let me just take care of the customers over there. I'll be right back."

Alison tended to her customers, but her mind was elsewhere. What did Jamal want to talk about? Then she headed over to his table. She smiled timidly as she sat down. "Hi. What did you want to talk about?"

"I uh, I wanted to apologize to you."

"Apologize? Why?"

"Well, the way I acted at the apartment for one. I know you were trying to talk to me and I just walked off without listening to you. I was just angry. Seeing you pack your things…"

"Jamal, there's nothing you need to apologize for. If anyone should be saying they're sorry, it should be me. I just can't…I can't get the look on your face out of my head when I told you about me and Rafe. You just looked so hurt and it made my heart break. Jamal, I'm so sorry I hurt you, I really am. And I don't think I can apologize enough for the way I hurt you—”

Jamal put his finger on her lips to silence her. "Ali, stop apologizing. Look, I know you would never intentionally hurt me. There was a time when I thought you and I would have been together forever but…well I guess it just wasn't meant to be. We both made some mistakes, Ali. I spent too much time with Valerie, and so part of it was my fault too."

"I never really thought it would come to this either."

"We changed, Alison. Different things have become important to us now, and it's time to move on."

"You rescued me you know."

"Rescued you?"

"Yeah, don't you remember? You saved me from Nana!" Alison laughed and Jamal did too. "If it hadn't have been for you, I'd probably still be locked up in that mausoleum and probably more spoiled than ever."

"Well I always knew there was something special about you. I couldn't let your grandmother keep you locked up forever."

"Thank you for saving me. And for showing me how to love. You taught me that, you know."

"Alison, I hope that Rafe realizes how special you are like I do. I know that being with him makes you really happy, because I can see it in your eyes. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy."

"That's what I want for you too, Jamal."

"So can we go back to being friends again?"

"I'd really like that."

Jamal wiped a tear that had trickled down to her chin. "See you later…Spunky."

Alison smiled. "Bye, Jamal."

~*~*~*~

Alison pulled up the driveway to Lucy's house. Home, finally. Alison was in the best of moods. It was funny how at first she had been reluctant to even see Jamal, but now, she was so glad that they had the chance to talk and to get some sense of closure. And now, finally, she was home to her angel.

"Rafe?" Alison said as she opened the door. To her surprise, candles were all over the place. There was also a glowing fire.

"I thought you'd never get back," Rafe said as he came out to the living room. He put his arms around her and kissed her lips.

"What's all this?" Alison smiled.

"It was Lucy's idea, the candles."

"It's looks nice."

"Come on." Rafe took Alison's hand and led her to the fire. They sat down on some pillows.

"I really love you," Alison said with a smile. "How did I get to be so lucky?"

"I'm the lucky one."

"Well so am I, I mean, come on, it's not every day a girl has an angel come down from heaven and fall in love with her."

Rafe laughed.

Then, there was a flash of lightening.

"Is it storming?" Alison asked. "I didn't hear thunder."

"It's not a storm." Rafe reached into his pocket and took out his watch.

The hand had moved again.

 


	18. Chapter 18

originally posted 5-8-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

18 

~*~*~*~

When Alison woke up, she felt wide-awake. This was unusual. The snooze button had always been Alison's friend. Most mornings, she would wake up feeling groggy with heavy eyelids and an overwhelming desire to sleep for three weeks, but not this morning. She felt very well-rested.

Alison turned over and looked at Rafe, still sleeping peacefully beside her. Alison smiled as she watched his chest rise and fall. A lock of hair was in his face. Alison gently moved the hair out of the way. Then, feeling a chill, she slipped out of the bed and grabbed her blue robe. Alison decided to let Rafe sleep for a while. He just looked so cute like that.

She made her way to the kitchen and opened up the cabinets. Nothing seemed appealing. Well, she wasn't that hungry right now anyway. She would wait for Rafe.

Alison went back to the living room. She saw the phone, and it reminded her that she had been _dying_ to talk to Livvie. Alison looked at the clock on the wall. "It's not too early to call her." So she picked it up, laid down on the couch, and dialed her number.

"Hello?" Livvie answered.

"Livvie, hey. It's me."

"Alison, hey. What's up?"

"I've just be dying to talk to you about my weekend! Are you busy?"

"No, not at all. Just getting…well trying to get the kitchen cleaned. Jack's still sleeping, as usual."

"Yeah, so is Rafe."

"So what's going on? When I called you yesterday, you were in such a rush because of your shift at the Recovery Room. And I thought you were going to call me last night when you got home…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Livvie! I had meant to call you."

"Well you've got me now. So? Tell me. I want to hear all about your weekend!"

"Livvie, it was incredible."

"Incredible?"

"We made love."

Livvie was caught by surprise. "You…you what? Ali!" Livvie squealed.

"Rafe and I, we…we made love."

"Oh my god, are you serious?"

"I know, I know! I know what you're going to say. You're thinking I'm rushing things and it's going way too fast and what in the world am I doing? And he's an angel! I must be crazy…but, Livvie, everything about this feels so right. I can't explain it."

"Alison, I don't think you're crazy. Maybe I would have two weeks ago. I mean I am worried about you, Alison. About what will happen when…you know, he has to…"

"Yeah I know, when he has to go back."

"Right. But I guess I've been thinking. I knew at Christmas when you were having such a hard time saying goodbye to him that your feelings for Rafe were a lot deeper than you were willing to admit at the time. And I knew Rafe was madly in love with you just by the way he would stutter and his face would turn beet red whenever he would talk about you."

Alison laughed.

"You two found each other and have made this connection. You've fallen in love and well, I'm happy for you. I want you to be happy, Alison."

"I am happy. And we do have this connection. It's like I said, I can't really explain it. I mean, it's not just the fact that Rafe is an angel that makes this so special. Well that's part of it, but you know, it's almost like this was destined to happen, as strange as that sounds. I spent weeks helping Rafe get you and Jack and all of the other couples back together. I think it was really just about us coming together, you know? I love him so much, Livvie. I really, really do."

"I can tell," Livvie laughed. "So? Are you going to give me the details or leave that up to my imagination?"

"Oh okay! So our weekend. It was…oh, Livvie, incredible doesn't even begin to describe it! I mean it was like, it was literally like heaven!" Alison laughed.

"How did it happen?"

"I don't know, Livvie. It just sorta did. We were kissing by the fire one minute, and the next, we were making love. Oh, Livvie, it was like this rush of love that literally took over me and swept me off my feet. I can't describe it."

"So what are you going to do now?"

"We're just going to live every single precious moment that God has given us. And we're really going to make it count. It may not be a lifetime, but I'd rather have a short time with Rafe then no time with him at all."

"Wow, you really love him that much."

"I do, Livvie."

"It's kind of strange. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy for you and Rafe. But I always sorta thought it would be me and Jack and you and Jamal, and that it would always be the four of us."

"I know, so did I, Livvie. But listen, Jamal will always be a part of me though. Speaking of him, I'm really glad that you told him where I would be last night."

"Oh yeah, he said he needed to talk to you. I'm sorry if I was out of line. He just really wanted to talk to you and I thought that it would be a good idea if you got your feelings out in the open."

"No, no, Livvie, you weren't out of line. Like I say, I'm glad I got the chance to speak to him. We sat down and we had a talk. We both understand that things have changed, but we still want to be friends. And Jamal wants nothing more than for me to be happy, and I want the same for him."

"Well good, I'm glad that you could work things out. I hate being in the middle."

"I'm sorry if you ever felt that way, Livvie."

"Well everything is okay now. I'm just glad my two best friends are on speaking terms again."

"Me too." Alison heard a noise from the bedroom. "Hey, Livvie, I think Rafe is waking up, so I'm going to go."

"Alright. I'm going to go drag Jack out of bed as well."

Alison laughed. "Okay, I'll talk to you later."

"Alison?"

"Yeah?"

"I did mean what I said. I really want you and Rafe to be happy."

"Thank you, Livvie. It means a lot to me."

"Okay bye, I love you, sweetie."

"Bye, I love you too." Alison hung up the phone. A smile formed on her face as she walked into the bedroom.

Rafe was still sleeping but he had been moving around because he was on the other side of the bed now. Alison got up on the bed and climbed up on him. She leaned forward and woke him up with a kiss.

"Wow, what a way to wake up," Rafe said groggily. Alison just laughed.

"Are you hungry?"

"Mmm…" Rafe tried to think. "Mmm-hmm."

"Well do you wanna go grab some breakfast at the Waffle House then?"

"Sure."

"Okay, so then get up and let's go!" Alison tried to get up but Rafe pulled her back.

"Okay, but five more minutes."

"No. I'm getting hungry, so we gotta go now."

"No, we don't." Rafe pulled her down and into his arms. "I'm tired."

"Rafe!" Alison laughed. She gently pulled herself out of his grasp. "Okay, five more minutes." She kissed him on the lips. "I'm going to go get ready."

"Mmm-hmm, you go do that." Rafe rolled over and fell back asleep.

~*~*~*~

By the time they got to the Waffle House, Rafe was more awake.

"Well if it isn't my favorite couple!" Shirley the waitress exclaimed when she saw Rafe and Alison walk in and take a seat. "Same thing as the last time you were here?"

"Yeah," Rafe said with a smile.

Shirley pinched Rafe's cheek. "Aww, you're so cute." She smiled again and walked away.

Alison laughed.

"Interesting waitress that Shirley," Rafe grinned.

"That'll probably be me in 30 years."

"A waitress at the Waffle House?" Rafe was bemused.

"No, a waitress at the Recovery Room."

"Huh? What happened to your bakery idea?"

"Oh, I haven't forgot it…it's just…"

"Just what?"

"What if it doesn't work out, Rafe? If it doesn't, then looks like I'll be, ya know, stuck taking orders for the rest of my life or whatever. Either that or it's back to living with Nana."

"Alison, you're not doubting yourself, are you?"

"No, but let's just say that I'm no Sara Lee," Alison laughed.

Rafe took hold of her hands. "Alison, your muffins are the best in town."

Alison laughed. "Yeah right."

"But you said so yourself."

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember? When we first met and your muffins went everywhere. You said they were the best in town."

"If I recall correctly, I had overcooked them."

"But you still said they were the best in town."

"Well I guess because then, I wasn't really planning on starting a bakery. My muffins are great to me but, that doesn't mean everyone else will think so."

"I see what you mean. I know what that feels like."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I had once thought about publishing some of my writings. But then you know, I thought, I may like them, but really, I don't think they are what the publishers have in mind. They aren't that great after all."

"Rafe, what are you talking about? You write beautiful poetry and…and okay, I see what you're doing here."

Rafe smiled at her. "Just have faith in yourself, Alison. You have to believe that because it's the truth. I should know. Can I just say that it has been wonderful having you live with me? I haven't ate this good since…well since never! You certainly know your way around the kitchen. I can vouch for that."

A smile came to Alison's face. "Thank you." She leaned across the table to kiss him. "I really do love you."

"And I love you. And I just had a great idea."

"What?"

"You're going to have that bakery, Alison. I promise you."

Alison grinned widely. "So what's your great idea?"

"Oh, you'll see."

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The story in this chapter is "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown :)

originally posted 5-19-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

19

  
~*~*~*~

"Rafe, where are we going?" Alison asked as Rafe dragged her somewhere downtown.

"You'll see. I hope no one has claimed it yet."

"Claimed it? Rafe, what are you talking about?"

"There it is!"

Rafe and Alison stood in front of an empty building with a sign in the window that said it was for lease.

"I saw it last week and when you were talking about opening up a bakery, I thought this would be a good place to have it. Well, what do you think?"

Alison's eyes lit up. "Oh, Rafe! Rafe, this is perfect! I can already see pastries and stuff in the window!" Alison ran up to the building and put her hands on the glass and looked inside. "Oh, and there's a lot of room inside. And I could…I could put a sign right up here and a little bell on this door!"

Rafe laughed. "And look at the location of it. I mean you've got the river right there; it's a great view. You'll get plenty of business around here."

"Rafe this is perfect!" Alison threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" he laughed.

"Believing in me. For helping this dream of mine become a reality."

"And it will. That's a promise."

Alison smiled.

"So now all that's left is calling that number on the sign right there and pretty soon, you'll be in business. Have you thought of a name?"

Alison beamed. "Well, I was going to go with Alison's Bakery, but that just sounds so plain. I've thought of a much better name."

"Well let's hear it!"

"'Alison's Heavenly Delights'. What do you think about that?"

Rafe smiled. "Am I your inspiration?"

"You're my inspiration and more!" Alison put her arms around him and they kissed.

~*~*~*~

"I won't have to do this much longer," Alison said to Rafe as she got ready for her shift at the Recovery Room.

"We should celebrate tonight."

"Really?"

"Definitely! We'll go out to that restaurant that we went before."

"Our first date," Alison beamed.

"Right."

"I can't wait."

"Alright, so I'll see you when you get off."

"Yes." Alison kissed him. "I'll be missing you every second."

~*~*~*~

Alison smiled as she was lost in a daydream. She kept thinking of Rafe's face and how cute he was and how much she loved him. She couldn't wait to spend some time with him.

"Alison. Alison?"

"Hmm?" Alison was snatched out of her reverie by Ian's voice. She rushed over to Ian and Eve's table. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I've just been sorta spaced lately. Can I get you anything else?"

"Actually, we weren't going to ask for more food. We have a favor we want to ask you."

"Oh, um…okay, sure."

"Eve and I were planning on spending a night out, but our babysitter called at the last minute and had to cancel. Is there any way that you could watch Danny for us?"

"Oh, well, Ian, I wouldn't mind, but Rafe and I, we…we sorta wanted to spend some time together tonight."

"Well bring him along too. My two favorite babysitters!"

"Please, Alison?" Eve asked. "It's been a really long time since we've done something for ourselves.”

Alison smiled. Eve and Ian wouldn't be back together if it hadn't have been for she and Rafe. It was nice to see them happy together. And she remembered how much fun it has been babysitting Daniel with Rafe that one evening before Christmas. "Alright, what time do you want us over?"

~*~*~*~

"So you really don't mind that we're spending our night with a baby instead of going out somewhere?" Alison asked as they stood outside the Thornhart's door.

"As long as I still get to spend time with you," Rafe said with a smile. "And besides, he is a cute kid."

Alison smiled and knocked on the door.

"Oh good, you're here!" Eve said with a smile and let Rafe and Alison in. "We're just about ready to go."

"That's a nice dress, Eve," Alison said.

Eve smiled. "Thank you. It's new. Look, I really appreciate you two watching Daniel for us. Ian told me that you two watched him before. And Daniel slept all through the night that night. He must like you."

"Well Rafe is really good with children." Alison smiled at Rafe.

"Well she's not so bad herself," Rafe said, his eyes on Alison.

"And here he is…" Ian said as he walked into the living room holding Danny in his arms.

"Aww, Daniel," Alison said and took the baby from him. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that he's even more cuter than that last time we saw him. I mean look at how much he has grown. It's like he's a completely different baby!"

"Thanks so much for watching him," Ian said.

"We're glad we could help," Rafe said.

"Lambert, you ready to go?"

"I'm ready if you are."

"Have a nice time!" Alison said.

"Bye, my little man!" Eve said to Daniel and gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "Oh, some important numbers are on the fridge. Call us if you have any problems. And he'll probably need a bottle fixed for him in a little while."

"Okay, we'll take good care of him."

"Bye, thanks again," they said.

"Bye. Say 'bye', Daniel." Alison held up Danny's little hand and made him wave to his parents. Daniel smiled big.

Eve and Ian left.

Alison looked over at Rafe who was smiling at them. "You want to hold him?"

"Oh, um…"

"Come on, you know you do," Alison grinned and put the baby into his arms. Daniel smiled and cooed. "Aww, see that? He likes you!"

Rafe held the child close to him. Daniel looked at Rafe and reached out for his ear. "Yeah, I guess he does."

"I'm going to go fix his bottle."

"Alright." Rafe sat down on the couch with Daniel. "This looks pretty neat," Rafe said as he picked up one of Daniel's toys. "You like this one?" Rafe held the toy in front of the baby and he reached out for it. Daniel was interested in it for two seconds and then decided that Rafe's ears and nose were much more interesting. Rafe laughed.

And then, a sadness came upon Rafe. He had always wondered what it would feel like to have a family of his own. He would never know. Rafe hadn't held a baby in a long time, but holding Daniel made him think of what it would be like to hold his own infant child in his arms. He wished he could have this with Alison, more than anything. He had never experienced love until he had met her. If only things could be different, he could have everything he ever wanted in life with her.

~*~*~*~

"Well, this looks very familiar," Alison said as she walked into the living room holding a wailing Daniel. "I know he's not hungry and I just changed his diaper. I've walked him all around the house and he is still crying! Maybe you can try."

"Oh, but I can't do the lights or anything anymore…"

"Oh I know," Alison said as she handed the baby to Rafe. "But um, I think that maybe…oh look at that!"

The moment Rafe held Danny, he calmed down.

"Hey there, little guy," Rafe said. "What's with all the crying?"

"He stopped!" Alison said with a smile. "I knew he liked you. Maybe he senses that you're different, that you're an angel."

Rafe just smiled.

Daniel reached out for Rafe's face and tried to grab his ears again. Alison laughed and reached out to stroke the baby's soft cheek. "Oh…I love babies! Working in the nursery really was my favorite part about my volunteer job that I had a while back. It was just like every day, there was a brand new miracle in the world."

"Well I'm sure the babies there loved you."

"Not as much as I loved them. You know, I would always pretend that I hated that volunteer job, because Nana was the one who made me volunteer in the first place. I hated being told what to do. She forced me to do it though because I had missed curfew too many times."

Rafe laughed. "You were a real party girl, huh?"

"I sorta was!" Alison laughed. "Seriously, I'd hang out at the mall with my friends until eleven, I'd go to raves. And this one time, my friend Sherry and I snuck into a college fraternity party. Now that was WILD!"

"You? A college fraternity party?! Wow, I have to say, I'm shocked, Alison!"

"Well, if truth be told, I really wasn't into all that stuff. I just did those kinds of things because, well first of all, I had a need to be social because I wasn't getting any kind of attention at home. And second, well, I knew it would really annoy Nana! But seriously, like I was saying before, I actually really liked my volunteer job. I was kind of sad when they didn't need me anymore."

Daniel made a little cooing sound that made Alison and Rafe turn their attention to him.

"You know," Alison said, "I think that maybe he's getting sleepy and that's why he has been so fussy. Maybe we should like, read him a book or something."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Why don't you go get one?"

Alison got out a book to read to Daniel. Then the three sat on the couch and Alison took Danny and put him in her lap. She read the book, and Danny was becoming sleepier. He kept closing his eyes but would then open them again and look at the book she was holding.

"…Goodnight room. Goodnight moon. Goodnight cow jumping over the moon…"

Rafe watched them and couldn't help but smile. She loved children so much and was so good with them. Someday, she would make a great mother.

"…Goodnight kittens. And goodnight mittens. Goodnight clocks. And goodnight socks…"

"I think he's sleeping," Rafe whispered.

"Oh? Is he?" Alison looked down and saw that Danny had finally given up the fight and closed his little eyes. "Well, I guess we'll just put this little one to bed then." Alison got up from the couch and gently placed Daniel in his little playpen. "He's so cute," Alison whispered to Rafe who had walked over to her to look at the sleeping child. Alison looked at Rafe, who was just smiling at her. "What?"

"You'll make a great mother someday."

"I'm not so sure about that," she said quietly as she walked over to the couch and sat back down.

Rafe sat down beside her. "Alison, what do you mean? Of course you'll make a great mother. You're so gentle and caring…and the way you are with Daniel, how could you not be a great mother?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant that…I'm probably not going to have children, Rafe."

"What? Why?"

"Rafe, you know I love you. And the way I feel about you…well I know in my heart that I'm never going to feel this way about anyone else…"

"But, Alison…"

"No, listen. I've never felt this way before. Never. I mean, I've been in love, but never quite like this. With you, it's different. It's like I feel this connection with you, that not only are we lovers, but we're soul mates. And I just really don't think that there will be anyone else. And I don't want there to be."

"Alison, listen to me. You know I'm leaving. At the end of March, I'll be gone, forever. And I don't want you to live your life alone. I want you to live a long and happy life, and I want you to be able to move on, because you're going to have to."

"No, Rafe, listen. I don't want to move on. And I'm not going to be miserable if I'm alone for the rest of my life. Because I really won't be alone. You'll always be with me in my heart. And just knowing that I was loved by you, and experiencing that kind of love, that's all the happiness I need to last a lifetime."

"Alison, I know in your heart that you want to be a mother. I can see it in your eyes."

"Maybe I'll adopt someday."

"Alison."

"What?"

"I don't want you to go through that alone."

"I could do it. There are lots of single mothers out there."

"I'm not saying you couldn't do it by yourself. What I'm saying is that I don't want you to. Having a child is such a miracle, and it's one that I want you to share with someone you truly love."

"But, Rafe, see what I'm telling you? I'll never love anyone the way I love you. If I was going to have a child, I would want it to be with you…wait a minute."

"What?"

"Rafe, I just, I just thought of something. What if…"

"What if what?"

"Well, what if we made a baby together? It would be a part of the both of us, a creation of our love that would stay with me even after you're gone. Rafe!" Alison smiled big.

"Alison, I'm afraid it doesn't work that way."

Alison's smile faded away. "What do you mean?"

"Alison, as much as I would love to have a baby with you…I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because, angels can't have children."

"Oh," Alison said sadly. "Well, I guess the idea was sort of silly anyway."

Rafe smiled at her. "No. No, it wasn't silly, not at all. You know, Alison, I would love to have a baby with you. I really would. But it's just…"

"I know, it's not going to happen."

"I'm sorry."

"Well you know what? I don't want to think about you leaving or what it's going to be like after you're gone. I just want to concentrate on what we have, right now. Right this very moment. I love you."

Rafe put his arms on her face. "I love you, too."

Alison smiled, and Rafe leaned forward and kissed her lips.

 


	20. Chapter 20

originally posted 5-20-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

20

~*~*~*~

"Oh wow," Livvie gasped as she walked into Alison's bakery, "this place has really come together!"

Alison stood behind the counter making last minute preparations. She smiled when she saw Livvie's expression. "You like it?"

"Like it? Ali, I love it! Oh my god, when I came here yesterday this place was practically empty! And now…"

"And now it's starting to look like an actual bakery."

"It looks great, Alison!"

"Thanks. Well, Rafe helped me a lot."

"So when are you going to open the place up?"

"Well, I had planned on next week, but things came together so fast that I think I'll be ready by tomorrow!"

"Wow, that soon?"

"Yeah! Can you believe it? And it's so perfect too. Just in time for Valentine's Day."

"Yeah, I can see that. Those heart shaped cookies look delicious." Livvie pointed to the cookies with red sprinkles in the glass.

"Oh, have one!" Alison took out the tray and set it down on the glass. "In fact, have two, or three! Have as many as you want. I can make more."

Livvie took a bite out of one. "Mmm, they're delicious. You always make the best cookies."

"Thank you."

"I'm going to miss you at the bike shop. I remember how you were always baking something and I would help."

"Livvie! You could help me out here! If, you know, if you wanted to."

"Really?"

"Yeah! I'd love having my best friend around! You could help me run the shop and with customers and stuff. What do you think?"

"I think I'd love to!" Livvie said and then hugged Alison.

"This is great! We'll have so much fun!"

"You know what, I was actually on my way to meet Jack for dinner. I should go."

"Yeah, I should go check on Rafe. He's in the back. I told him to watch the latest batch of cookies I have in the oven to make sure they don't burn, but I don't know, something tells me that he may forget about them."

Livvie laughed. "When do you want me to come by? Do you want to call me in the morning or what?"

"You can come by whenever you want."

"Okay, well I'll see you tomorrow! Don't let Rafe burn those cookies!"

Alison laughed. "I won't. Bye, Livvie."

~*~*~*~

Alison had really not planned for things to come together so quickly, but suddenly, she was in business! So far, she had a steady stream of customers but was well prepared, so she wasn't rushed at all. Plus, Rafe and Livvie had been there to help.

"Well, for my first day, I say it went rather well," Alison said to Rafe when things had finally died down.

"Oh, you're not closed yet, are you?" Lucy said as she walked into the shop, holding Christina's hand.

Alison smiled at Lucy. "Well actually, Lucy, we are, but we're always open for you."

"And we're always open for cute little girls with heart-shaped balloons," Rafe said, smiling at Christina.

"Mommy bought this balloon for me!"

Lucy laughed. "You should have seen the grocery store. There were like ten million of them! Alison, I have to say…this place looks really nice! You've done a wonderful job with it."

"Thank you. I couldn't have done it without this guy here!"

Rafe blushed.

"Well would you like some cookies or something? Everything is fresh-baked. And I won't charge you anything."

"Oh no! Don't you do that! You're too nice for your own good, Alison. If you don't start charging your customers, you aren't going to make any money."

Alison just laughed.

"Okay, I think we will take a dozen of those Valentine's sugar cookies. Those look delicious!"

"Alright."

"MOMMY! MY BALLOON!" Christina cried.

Alison, Lucy, and Rafe all looked up to the ceiling.

"Oh, sweet pea, I told you that you have to hold on tight to the string or it will fly away."

Christina started to cry. Lucy tried to comfort her.

"Don't worry, Christina. We'll get your balloon back," Rafe said.

"Rafe," Alison whispered, "that ceiling is really high. I don't have a ladder."

"We'll get it down, sweet pea," Lucy said.

Rafe looked up to survey how high it was. "I got an idea." Rafe smiled. "Come here, Christina. Let me pick you up."

Christina walked over to Rafe.

"Now what I'm going to do is hold you up real high and I want you to grab your balloon. Can you do that?"

The girl shook her head.

"Okay." Rafe picked up Christina and held her high over his head. She laughed. "Can you reach it? Grab hold of it!"

"I GOT IT!" she announced.

Rafe brought her down gently and everyone cheered that the balloon had been retrieved.

"How about we tie that string around your arm so your balloon doesn't get away from you again, huh?" Lucy said with a smile to her. "What do you say to Rafe for helping you get it?"

Christina smiled at Rafe. "Thank you!"

Rafe laughed. "You're welcome."

"Here are your cookies. I hope you enjoy them."

"Oh I'm sure we will. How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing, Lucy! Please, it's my treat! It's the least I can do for you after all you've done for me."

Lucy smiled at Alison and Rafe. "Alright. Have a good night. Say bye, Christina."

Christina waved bye.

"Bye!" Alison said.

"Bye, Christina!" Rafe said.

"Ta!" Lucy said!

"Bye! Thanks for coming, Lucy!"

Alison smiled at Rafe. "You never cease to amaze me."

"What?"

"That was so cute what you did for Christina."

"Well, I'm an angel, so it's my job."

Alison laughed.

"These cookies are really great you know." Rafe picked up one. "These are my favorite." Rafe was holding a heart-shaped cookie at her. "You have my heart, Alison."

Alison laughed. Then she took a bite out of the cookie and Rafe met her lips with his in a sugary kiss.

~*~*~*~

"Rafe? What are you up to?" a blindfolded Alison asked as he walked her into the house.

"You'll see," he said as he slowly undid the blindfold. As he did, Alison saw a shower of pink rose petals fall in front of her. Then, Rafe held bouquet of pink roses before her. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Aww, Rafe!" Alison gladly took the flowers, inhaled them, and then threw her arms around Rafe and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"And I love you."

"Oh, Rafe," Alison gasped as she saw what was before her. Rafe had a romantic candlelight dinner for the two of them set up. Rose petals were scattered on the floor. It was very romantic. "This looks, this looks incredible."

"Would you like to dance?"

"I would love to dance!"

Alison put the roses on the table and took Rafe's hand. Rafe used the remote control to turn on some music.

They danced to the music for a while, and Rafe eventually picked her up and spun her around. Alison laughed and held on tightly to the man she loved. And suddenly, pink rose petals were falling all around them. Alison and Rafe looked up to see them fall from a white light. They laughed and went back to dancing.

Ed watched them from heaven and smiled.

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Just a note, the events in this chapter are very similar to something that actually happened on the show. BUT, I just want you to know that I've had this chapter planned since January!! PC STOLE MY IDEA! LOL

originally posted 5-21-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

21

~*~*~*~

It was March. Every time Rafe and Alison turned around, another day had passed. The more they wished that time would slow down, it would speed up. And suddenly, two weeks were all they had left.

The idea of saying goodbye was getting harder and harder for Alison to accept. In the beginning, she was perfectly willing to just have the time she had with Rafe. But as each day passed, she couldn't get over how unbelievably UNFAIR it was! Alison couldn't for the life of her understand why they were fortunate enough to have this wonderful love only to have to be ripped from each other's arms in a few short weeks.

Rafe tried to be the voice of reason and reassure Alison that they would still be together…not physically, but in their hearts. But to Alison, that was never enough, and she knew Rafe felt the same way even if he would not admit it.

Alison and Rafe never wasted a second they had together. They would always find some way to spend some time together. One afternoon, they went for a walk in the wooded area outside the Barrington grounds at her grandmother’s house. As they walked down the dirt path, they came upon a clearing.

"What's that?" Rafe asked.

Alison looked ahead and saw a small white building in the open space. "Oh, that's that little church. I forgot it was here."

"Has it been here long?"

"Yeah, real long time, ever since I was a kid."

"Can we go inside?"

Alison smiled. "Yeah, let's go."

Alison and Rafe walked hand-in-hand up the little stone steps and into the small church. It was quiet and peaceful inside. The late afternoon sunshine hit the colored glass of the window. At the front, there was a statue of the Virgin Mary, and there were candles.

The two sat down on the second row, and they were silent for a moment. Then, Alison spoke.

"I used to come here when I was a child."

"You mean this was the church your family would go to?"

"This one? Oh, no. This church, well, my nana would call this "rustic", and trust me, my nana doesn't do rustic. I just meant that I would come here by myself sometimes. During the summer when I was bored and feeling lonely or sad, I'd slip out of the house and ride my bike here. It was just a quiet place to think, you know."

"I'm sorry you had a lonely childhood."

Alison smiled at him. "Don't feel bad for me. I turned out okay, didn't I?"

"You sure did. You turned into the most beautiful, caring, and loving woman I've ever known."

"I don't want you to go, Rafe. What will I do without you?"

"You're going to live a long and beautiful life, Alison, with all of the love and happiness you deserve." Rafe saw a tear roll down Alison's cheek. He wiped it with his fingertip. "Hey, you will, okay?"

"No, Rafe," she said softly. Another tear fell. "Will you pray with me?"

Rafe shook his head yes and smiled at her. He held her hand tighter and closed his eyes.

Alison wiped her eyes once more. "God, I'm so…I'm so confused. Rafe and I found each other, and we've been blessed by this beautiful love…and I…I just don't understand why it has to end. I know that Rafe can't stay, but, I just don't understand. This is the greatest love I have ever experienced. Why can't we just stay together? I know everything happens for a reason, so why did this happen? I know that life isn't always fair, but really, I don't think I can handle that kind of pain. I really want us to stay together. Please, if there's just anyway that can happen, please. We love each other so much, and love is the greatest thing in the world. What harm would it be if we could just stay together and love each other?" Alison wiped her eyes again but the tears kept coming. She rested her head on Rafe's shoulder and he tried to comfort her.

A noise was heard from the other side of the room. It was the minister. "Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that anyone was in here."

"It's alright," Rafe said.

The minister could see the sadness in their eyes. He felt compelled to say something to them. He sat down in the seat in front of them. "Are you two alright? Is there anything I can do?"

Alison rubbed her eye again. "Saying goodbye is just really hard."

"It is. Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy," the minister offered. "But just remember that they'll always be in your heart. They'll still be with you. But now, they are at peace in Heaven. Is there any kind of memorial service?"

Rafe didn't know what to say. The minister obviously thought they were grieving over someone who had just passed. "Um, no," was all he could think of to say.

"Well maybe you should have one. Sometimes having a ceremony helps. It helps you say goodbye." The minister stood up. "Well, take care, and God bless." The minister smiled at them and quietly left.

"Are you ready to go now?" Rafe asked her softly.

"Wait, Rafe, what that minister said."

"What?"

"I think he's right. Maybe we should have some sort of ceremony."

"What do you mean?"

Alison smiled at him. "Rafe, we can make a promise to each other, right here at this church. A promise to love each other and to belong to each other for all eternity. Because our love…well it's something to celebrate. Let's get married, Rafe."

"Married?"

"Yeah, married! Right here. We can exchange vows to love each other forever in front of God. So? What do you say? Will you…will you marry me?"

Rafe smiled at her, then put his hands on her face. "I will marry you," he said and kissed her lips.

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay…since PC stole the wedding idea from me, they won't mind if I borrow from them either lol…I really like the vows that Rafe and Alison said on the show, and I don't think I could write anything that is better than that, so some of what you read will sound familiar.

originally posted 5-22-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

22

~*~*~*~

Alison and Rafe had planned for the ceremony to be pretty informal, but both decided that they wanted to do a little preparing for it first. After all, they were getting married.

Alison had a white dress that she planned to wear. It wasn't exactly a wedding dress, but it would work for the occasion. She left her hair down but gave her tresses a little bounce with the help of a curling iron.

Rafe decided to wear the tuxedo that he had worn at Kevin and Lucy's wedding. He took a deep breath as he sat on the couch. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded pieced of paper. His vows. He read them once more to make sure he would remember them.

"Rafe?"

Rafe turned around to see Alison standing in the doorway. "So beautiful. You're so beautiful."

Alison smiled. "Am I a blushing bride?" She laughed.

"I have something for you." Rafe got up and picked up a bouquet of pink roses. "These are for you."

"Aww, Rafe. They're beautiful. When did you get these?"

"A few minutes ago. When you were getting ready, I ran out real quick to the florist down the street. When she saw how I was dressed, she knew it was a special occasion. Every bride should have flowers on her wedding day."

"They're lovely."

"Well, are you ready?"

Alison shook her head yes. "A bit nervous though. We're getting married."

Rafe kissed her on the cheek. Then, he took her arm and they left the house.

~*~*~*~

Alison gasped when she walked into the church on Rafe's arm. White candles were everywhere, giving the whole room a romantic glow.

"Did you do this?"

Rafe shook his head no. "Come on," he said.

Together, Rafe and Alison walked up the aisle. When they reached the end, Rafe took hold of Alison's hands. "Me first?" he asked.

Alison shook her head shyly.

Rafe cleared his throat. "I came here an angel, blessed with an angel's powers. But I will leave here a man much more blessed by your love. People say, you know, that there's only angels in heaven, but I've been here and there and I know better. See, angels live in the hearts of those who dare to love. And how lucky am I to meet the most incredible angel of all." Rafe brought her hands to his mouth and kissed them.

Alison blushed. "Rafe," she whispered.

"People spend forever searching and looking, on a journey to nowhere. And you know what? I guess that could've been me, except I found you. And now I know that my journey began and is going to end with you. Alison Barrington, I promise that I will carry our love with me forever. We will be joined together as one for now and into eternity."

"Rafe, you've touched and changed my life in so many ways. I don't think many people can say that they've met their own person guardian angel. That's what you are to me, my guardian angel. I know you said that wasn't exactly your job, but that's what you'll always be to me. You've taught me so much about life and love, and I'll never forget it. Rafe Kovich, I promise to carry your love with me forever. And my heart and soul now belongs to you from now through eternity."

"And now, under the eyes of God, we belong to each other."

"Now you may kiss your bride."

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other and shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

~*~*~*~

Alison laughed loudly outside the door. "Don't drop me!"

Rafe managed to get the door open. "I'm carrying you over the threshold!" Once inside the house, he kicked the door closed with his foot. He carried her to the bedroom, kissing her the whole time. Rafe laid Alison on the bed and fell over her, kissing her lips, then moving on to her neck. Even as he took off his jacket, his lips never left her.

"Rafe…" she whispered

"I love you so much…" he said breathlessly.

"Rafe, something…" Alison couldn't concentrate on what she was saying, but she knew something was different.

"What?" Rafe asked, kissing her neck.

Alison's hand roamed over the bed until it touched something silky. Rose petals. "Did you do this?"

Rafe tore his lips away from her to look at what Alison was talking about. Pink rose petals were scattered everywhere on the bed and on the floor. Then, Rafe and Alison noticed that candles were lit…but who had lit them? And there was soft music playing in the background, but who had turned on a CD?

"What's that?" Alison asked, pointing to the dresser.

Rafe got up from the bed and walked over there. It was champagne.

"Where did this come from? Did you do all of this?"

Rafe saw a card by the champagne and he read it. "Ed."

"Who's Ed?"

"He's my boss. I'm sort of like the son he never had. He did this for us. This explains all of the strange occurrences we've had lately."

"What's the card say?"

"It just says 'To the Newlyweds…Ed'." Rafe took out the bottle of champagne and uncorked it. There were two champagne glasses sitting on the dresser. Rafe poured them each a glass.

Alison got up from the bed and Rafe handed a glass to her.

Rafe gave Alison that smile of his. "To my wife, who is the most beautiful angel of all."

"And to my husband, who taught me to believe that anything is possible if you just believe in love."

They clinked their glasses together and took a sip of the champagne. Then, Alison took Rafe's glass away and set his and hers back on the dresser. "You know, it was really nice of your boss Ed to do this for us, but you know what? I don't want to drink champagne now."

"Oh no?"

Alison shook her head no. She ran her fingers along his chest and undid a few buttons. When a little of his chest was revealed, Alison took hold of the chain around his neck, yanked it gently, and brought Rafe's face to hers. She kissed him.

Rafe picked Alison up and carried her to the bed once again…

~*~*~*~

Alison nestled against Rafe's chest after they made love. She played with his chain again, and Rafe played with her hair, twirling it around his finger.

"My wife…that really has a nice ring to it."

Alison laughed. "Yes, it does. This has been like, the best day of my life."

"Really?"

Alison looked up at Rafe. "Yes, really." She touched his chin. "My husband…oh, I love you so much."

Rafe smiled at her and they kissed. Then, he went back to holding Alison in his arms and they fell asleep.

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The best part about being a fanfic writer is that I can write whatever the heck I want and change whatever I don't like, so guess what? That little thing about angels disappearing in hot water ain't happening in my fanfic…

originally posted 5-24-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

23

~*~*~*~

The early morning sun spilled into the bedroom the next morning. Alison and Rafe slowly awoke and smiled at each other.

"Good morning, husband," Alison moaned.

"Good morning, wife." Rafe brought her face to his and kissed her. They stopped kissing, smiled at each other, then kissed again.

Rafe took Alison into his arms and held her for a little while as they woke up.

"So what do you want to do today?" Alison asked.

"Anything as long as I'm with you and we're not apart for a single second."

Alison laughed. "Well that's the great thing about the weekends. We can just do nothing but hang out here with each other." She looked up at Rafe and they kissed again.

"We probably should think about getting out of this bed sometime soon."

"You're right. I got an idea."

"Okay."

"Well, we'll go take our morning run."

"Mmm-hmm."

"Then after that, we'll be all hot and sweaty, you know. So we'll have to take a shower. We could do that…" Alison put her mouth to Rafe's ear. "Together," she whispered. Alison started laughing. "Your heart rate just went way up! I can feel it right through your chest!"

"You just kind of caught me by surprise."

"It's not like we haven't seen each other naked, though. We've seen each other naked lots of times." Alison laughed.

"The thing is, I've never quite done anything like that before, showering with someone I mean. Sounds um…intriguing."

"Well just think of it as one of those earthly pleasures you're supposed to be experiencing before you go."

Rafe laughed. "You know what I think we should do?"

"What?"

"I think we should just skip the morning run. I mean, there are other ways we can exercise right?"

"Race ya!"

"Hey!" Rafe called out to her as Alison sprung out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. Rafe got out of bed and followed her. When he got there, Alison already had the shower running and was standing there with a towel around her.

"I beat you," she teased.

"You had an unfair head start."

Alison shrugged her shoulders. Then, she let the towel drop to the floor. "Well? Are you just going to stand there or are you going to join me?" Alison shot Rafe a killer grin, then slid the shower door open and stepped inside.

Rafe laughed, shed himself of his boxers, and stepped into the shower.

Alison turned around and grabbed Rafe by the shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her and covered her lips with his. They let the hot water fall on them as they kissed passionately...

~*~*~*~

Rafe dressed in some sweats and Alison threw on her robe. They sat on the bed and Rafe blow-dried her hair.

"I haven't had someone else blow-dry my hair in a long time. Are you sure you're not bored?"

"Bored? Never. This is actually kind of fun, and you have such beautiful hair." He turned the blow dryer off. "Okay, I think it's done."

Alison turned around and smiled at him. "Thanks."

"So what do you want to do now?"

"Hmm, let's see. Well, we took a shower together, and that was _really_ nice. And hmm, oh, breakfast! We can make breakfast together."

"Alright."

Alison hopped off the bed and held out her hand. Rafe took it and she led him into the kitchen. "What do you want to eat?"

"Hmm, well I can't cook anything."

"Well that's okay because I’ll help you."

"Pancakes maybe?"

"Sound great to me!"

So the two cooked breakfast together, but it took a while. It was hard to get any cooking done when they kept kissing every two seconds.

~*~*~*~

Later in the afternoon, Alison had found a bunch of Serena's board games hiding in the closet, so she brought them out and she and Rafe played a few.

"Sorry!" Rafe yelled as his green man bumped Alison's red man back home.

"No fair!" Alison complained. "How can you be so good at this game when you've never played it before?"

"Beginner's luck?"

"Are you sure you don't have any powers left?"

"I'm not cheating!" Rafe laughed.

"Hmm," Alison mumbled.

"You know, maybe we should put this up and start thinking about dinner."

"Um…yeah, we should," Alison said softly.

"Alison, are you okay?"

"No."

Rafe got up from his spot on the floor and sat down beside Alison on the couch. "What's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about how perfect this day has been. I wish everyday could be like this."

Rafe held her face in his hands. He wiped away one of her tears with his thumb. "I know, so do I." Then, he pulled her into his arms. "Listen, when I leave, you know I'm not really going to be gone."

"Mmm-hmm."

"I'll still be with you…in your heart."

"But it won't be the same, Rafe."

"But you know what? Even though you won't be able to see me or hear me, I promise you that you'll feel me. You'll feel my presence, because I'm going to be watching over you. You know that, don't you?"

"How can I ever be happy, Rafe? How will I ever be happy knowing I can feel your presence but that I'll never be able to spend a life with you? Tell me."

"You'll be happy, Alison. You have your bakery. That was your dream ever since you were a little girl. You'll have that to focus on."

"But what about my other dream?" Alison looked Rafe in the eyes. "I want a lifetime with you. I want us to grow old together and to….and to have babies together." Alison started to cry.

"I know." Rafe held her close to him.

And now, it was more aware to them than it had ever been-the time to say goodbye was almost here.

 


	24. Chapter 24

originally posted 5-27-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

24

~*~*~*~

Alison propped her elbow up on her pillow and watched Rafe sleep. She smiled at him as she ran her fingers though his hair. She loved to do that-run her fingers through his hair. She would miss doing that. Rafe smiled, obviously having some pleasant dream. That made Alison smile. She loved his smile. She loved the way his eyes would crinkle at the corners when he would smile at her. She loved the way he would hold her in his arms. She always felt so safe in the arms of her angel.

It was Rafe's last day on Earth. Alison suddenly felt her chin tremble, a sure sign that tears would fall next. Alison quickly composed herself as she realized Rafe was waking up. "Hi," she said softly.

Rafe touched her chin. "You're crying."

"I wasn't crying."

Rafe sat up and shook his head. "Yeah, you were."

"Okay, maybe just a little. I just don't want you to go, Rafe. It's your last day here…"

"Well then we'll make it the best day, okay?"

"How? How can we make it a great day when I know at midnight, I'm going to lose you?"

"Do you remember that day we spent together doing nothing all day, going to the mall and the movies, and that waffle place?"

Alison smiled. "Yeah."

"Well that was one of the best days of my life, because I got to spend the whole day with you."

"It was one of my favorite days, too."

"So that's what we'll do. We'll spend every…" he kissed her, "single…" he kissed her again, "moment together…" he kissed her once more.

"Can we start off with breakfast?"

"I'd love breakfast."

"Well let's go get some waffles then, you know, one last time."

"Okay." Rafe kissed her again, and then the two got out of bed and got ready.

~*~*~*~

After breakfast, Rafe and Alison went for a walk in the park. The weather was still a bit cool, but it was definitely much warmer than it had been a few weeks ago. It was finally spring, and the world was slowly waking up from its long winter sleep. New life seemed to be beginning all around, but Alison felt like hers was ending.

Rafe looked at Alison and could tell her mind was miles away. He knew what was on her mind, because it was on his mind as well. But he was determined to make the most of this last day for Alison, and himself too.

"Hey," Rafe said excitedly in an attempt to lighten the mood, "you remember what happened here?"

Alison smiled. "Hmm, well lots of things happened here."

"Well you know what I'm thinking?"

"What?"

"The snow angels! And mine was perfect, remember?"

Alison laughed, and she thought about that day from three months ago. Alison sat down on a park bench, and Rafe joined her. "I remember something else that happened here."

_"You're not like the rest of us, are you?"_

_"Well, you know, I just know a few magic tricks. You know, makes me a hit at the parties."_

_"No, Rafe. What I saw was no magic show. Ok, I saw this -- this light and this energy just flowing from you."_

_"Yeah, well, the sun got in your eyes."_

_"No. I've seen that. I've seen that light before. It was that night at the monastery. And Jack thought that I was dead after that tree branch hit me. And then you helped me."_

_"You just got lucky, that's all."_

_"No, I remember the way you touched me. Oh, my god. I was dead, and you brought me back to life, just like that bird."_

_"Uh -- you know what? Can we just drop this?"_

_"No, wait! I was a goner, wasn't I? I -- I was a goner! Oh, my god. This is not happening, Alison. This -"_

_"Ow!"_

_"Oh! Ok, I'm sorry. You are so real. You are just as real as I am. Only -- only you -- you, like, bring things back to life with this really pretty light and this really cool energy. Only I thought that only god could do stuff like that, you know, and -- oh, my god, are you him?"_

_"No."_

_"Oh, good, because if it was judgment day -"_

_"Of course not. I -- look, I would love to answer all your questions, but I can't."_

_"Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok. All right. I get it. Ok, why don't I just sort of, you know, throw out some guesses, ok, and if I'm right, you don't have to tell me but just sort of give me a look."_

_"Ok, that might work."_

_"Ok. So we've ruled out that you are not god. Ok, so did you come from some sort of, like, spaceship? I mean, are you, like, Mr. Spock or something?"_

_"No."_

_"No. Ok. Are you some sort of healer?"_

_"You know what? This is just trouble. Let's go."_

_"Wait, wait! Ok, wait! Just -- I'm getting warmer, I can see it, ok? Just -- if you're not god, then did you come from the same zip code? I mean, are you -- are you, like, from heaven?"_

_"Alison, don't do this."_

_"Oh, my god, you are! I can see it in your eyes! I know what you are now with -- with the light and the miracles and the whole bringing-people-back-to-life thing. I know what you are. You're an angel!"_

"That's a day I'll never forget," Alison said with a smile.

"Neither will I."

Alison smiled at Rafe. "You know, Rafe, I don't know if I ever really thanked you for saving my life that night at the monastery."

"I wasn't about to let you leave this earth so soon. You still have a lot of life to live."

"When did you first fall in love with me?" Alison suddenly asked.

"From the moment I made you drop all of those muffins at the Bike Shop."

Alison laughed. "Oh come on, you couldn't have! You didn't even know me!"

"Well see, the thing is, I've loved you for so long…your life has become so intertwined with mine…I just can't think of a time when I wasn't loving you."

"Aww."

"Well okay though, I can tell you when I first really started to like you."

"When?!"

"It was that drive home from the monastery. I just remember looking at you and thinking of how beautiful you were."

Alison laughed. "Oh yeah right, I had like, dirt all over my face!"

"Well what I meant was that when we were talking, I got to see the real you, and I saw that you were a beautiful person on the inside. But I have to say, you were pretty cute with dirt smudged on your face too. Okay, your turn. Same question."

"Hmm, well it's hard to say, because I didn't admit it to myself for a long time. I guess it was…it was when I found out you were an angel. It just made me feel so special to know that I was the only one to know your secret, well, other than Livvie, and just knowing what you had did for me. Not just at the monastery, but you were there for me with that whole Valerie mess."

Rafe brought Alison's hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Rafe?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

"Have you told Lucy about you leaving?"

"I tried to yesterday, but you know, if I tell Lucy I'm leaving, she'll get suspicious, and you know how Lucy gets."

"She'll start asking questions!"

"Yeah. And I don't want to risk being called back up one second sooner than I have to, because those are the rules. If people find out I'm an angel…I'm gone."

"I don't understand though. I found out you were an angel, but you didn't have to go back up then?"

"Yeah I know, I can't figure that part out either. Livvie found out because of Caleb, so that was okay. But with you…well…I guess you were supposed to find out. Everything happens for a reason."

"Yeah. So what will you tell Lucy? Will you tell her anything?"

"I wrote her a letter. I know that seems like the coward's way out, but I can really get my feelings out better that way and in a letter, I won't have her interrupting me."

Alison laughed. "That's true."

"Will you give it to her after…will you give it to her?"

"Sure."

"Okay, time to go." Rafe stood up and took her hand.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

~*~*~*~

Rafe and Alison went to the little white church where they were "married". It just seemed appropriate to go there and to thank God for giving them this time together. Together, they had found a connection that neither of them had ever experienced before, and for that, they felt truly blessed.

When they got back home, Rafe and Alison spent some time cuddling on the couch. Then Alison gave Rafe a massage, and she made some muffins as usual. The day was just perfect, except for the clock that seemed to purposely speed up as the hours passed on.

Night came. Rafe and Alison decided to spend a quiet evening at home. Alison made dinner, and Rafe set the mood by lighting candles and putting on some romantic music. And of course, there were roses. Alison didn't feel much like eating. She wanted to dance instead. They spent the longest time just holding each other as they moved slowly to the music.

Rafe stopped dancing after a while. He took Alison's hand and they walked around the living room, blowing out the candles in that room. Then, he led her to the bedroom.

"Rafe," Alison whispered as they kissed on the bed. "What if you don't have to go? What if you can stay here after all?"

"Alison…"

"No listen. You and I both know that miracles really do happen! What if we were meant to keep this connection with each other? I mean, you came back to me once, Rafe."

"Alison, my 13 weeks here are all that I was given, and they are almost up."

"But maybe a miracle will happen, Rafe!"

"Alison, we're going to have to say goodbye tonight…"

"No! No, no, no! We're not saying goodbye, because I know in my heart that you aren't going anywhere. We're going to get our dream together, Rafe. We will live a happy life together, I know it! I really don't think God would tear us apart after going through all of this trouble to get us together. It just doesn't make sense."

"But…"

"Shh…" Alison said and put her finger to Rafe's lips. "Just make love to me."

Rafe took Alison into his arms and kissed her….

~*~*~*~

Rafe and Alison laid together in bed after making love.

"Just don't let me go," Alison said. "Hold on to me, and I'll hold on to you. You're not going anywhere. I won't let anyone take you away from me. We won't be separated."

"Do you really think so?" Rafe asked, wondering if what Alison was saying could really happen.

"I know it…" she whispered and closed her eyes. "Just don't let me go…"

And not long after that, Alison was asleep.

But it was just a dream, a wish. As much as Rafe wanted to believe Alison, he knew it wasn't going to happen. He stayed in bed, holding her so close. He took comfort in the sound of her steady breathing and the feeling of her heart beating next to his own. He stayed in bed like that for a long time, just holding her. He relished every single second.

He looked at the clock. It was almost time.

Rafe managed to get out of bed without waking up Alison. He was afraid she would wake up once he got out of bed, but she didn't, she just rolled over to her side. Rafe breathed a sigh of relief.

Rafe dressed by the light of the fire. Then, he took out the notepad on the nightstand and sat down near the fireplace. He wrote Alison a letter…

_Dear Alison,_

_By the time you read this, you know where I'll be. I didn't want to wake you up. You have this beautiful smile on your face right now. I think you must be having some incredible dream. I'm not going to tear you away from that. I want the last image that I see of you to be one of you smiling. Because the truth is, it would break my heart if I have to leave seeing you with tears in your eyes. My heart is hurting enough, and that would be too much to handle._

_Alison, I promise you that I'll try to find a way back to you. If you're right, if there is some way that we are meant to keep this connection, then I will find it. I will move heaven and earth to see you again. I don't know how, but I'll find a way. We have the kind of love that not many people are fortunate enough to find. And not a day, a moment, a second will go by that I won't think of how truly blessed I am that you opened your heart to me and let me have your love._

_Whenever you need me, just look up and talk. I'll hear you. I promise you that, Alison. I'm just a thought away._

_I'll love you forever, my angel…_

_Rafe_

Rafe swallowed the lump in his throat and got up from the chair. He put the note on the pillow. Rafe took a pink rose out of the vase on the nightstand and put it beside the note so he would be sure Alison would see it right away. And then, there was just one more thing he wanted to do.

Being as quiet as he could, Rafe walked to the other side of the bed. He kneeled down beside her and watched her sleep. She was so beautiful. He gently stroked her head and leaned forward, placing a little kiss on her forehead. He reluctantly pulled away from the smell of Alison's hair.

And then, Rafe had an idea. Reaching behind his neck, he undid the clasp to his chain. He wanted Alison to keep it. The decision was really last minute. He wanted so much for Alison to keep _something_ of him with her. The chain had been very important to Rafe ever since he had become a guardian angel. It had been a gift to him, and only really special angels received them. Rafe couldn't think of an angel more deserving of this chain than Alison.

Being very careful not to wake her up, Rafe gently placed the chain in her hand. He kissed her hand softly. He would miss that red nail polish. And the smell of her shampoo and the sound of her laughter. Her smile. The feeling of her lips and the warmth of her body against his.

Rafe knew it was time to go. "I love you, Alison," he whispered. "I love you more than anything else in the whole world."

Rafe let her hand go and stood up. He quietly left the room and went outside. Once there, he finally just let the sobs he had been holding inside out. He let his tears fall freely, and he didn't care how loud he cried.

Then, a flash of lightening appeared, and he was gone.

 


	25. Chapter 25

originally posted 5-29-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

25

~*~*~*~

The bird in the tree outside of the bedroom window was chirping excitedly the next morning. Alison had grown accustomed to that bird waking her up. She slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the bright sunshine. In her morning confusion, she smiled at the thought of another day with her angel.

And suddenly, something didn't feel right. Alison remembered what was supposed to happen last night. _Please still be here_ Alison prayed silently. She slowly rolled over and looked on the other side of the bed, hoping Rafe would still be beside her, fearing that he would not.

"No!" Alison screamed and burst into tears when she saw the empty space beside her. She felt the sheets. They felt cold. "Rafe…" Then, the pink rose caught her eye. She picked it up and smelled it. She picked up the note beside it and silently read it.

Alison could feel fresh tears burn her eyes. And suddenly, she realized that something was in the palm of her hand. She opened her hand and saw what it was—Rafe's chain. He had left it behind for her. Alison brought the chain to her mouth and kissed it. Then, she collapsed on the bed and sobbed uncontrollably.

~*~*~*~

This time, it was a shrill ring that snapped Alison out of her sleep. She cursed the phone. Sleep was her one escape from the pain of the loss of Rafe. She reluctantly grabbed the phone.

"Hello?" Alison said in a cracked voice.

"Alison?" Livvie asked on the other end.

"Yeah?"

"Ali, are you alright? I'm here at the bakery with a line of customers and you're not. Are you okay? I'm worried!"

"Um…I'm sorry, Livvie, I forgot."

"You forgot? Alison, what's wrong?"

Alison could feel herself slipping again.

"Alison?" Livvie repeated.

"Rafe…he's…he's gone, Livvie." Alison broke down in tears.

"Oh…" Livvie's voice trailed off as she heard her friend crying on the other end. "Sweetie, let me take care of things here real fast and then I'm coming over, okay?"

"Okay."

Alison hung the phone up and wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. Her pillow was soggy from her tears and the bed was messy with the crumpled sheets and numerous balled-up tissues. She figured she had better put some clothes on and at least make herself somewhat presentable since Livvie was on her way.

Alison didn't feel like taking a shower, mostly because she was just lazy and too tired to stand for that long; and maybe a part of her wanted to somehow keep Rafe's scent on her body, as strange as that sounded. She dressed in her star sweatpants and threw on a shirt. She smiled when she realized this was the same outfit she wore the first time they had kissed at the apartment. But she didn't smile for long as she remembered Rafe was now gone.

Alison looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like a fright with her puffy eyes and dry cheeks. Alison put her hair up in a messy ponytail, grabbed the chain and rose, and then left the bedroom.

Alison walked around the house. It felt so empty. She felt so alone. It was too bright in here. Alison closed the curtains and made the room as dim as she could. She wanted to just shut out the world and go back to bed. She wanted to go to sleep and dream of Rafe.

She wanted Rafe back.

Alison plopped down on the couch and sighed. She smelled the rose and then set it down on the cushion beside her. Then, she held up the chain and inspected it closely.

"Oh, Rafe, this is all I have left of you."

She turned the TV on in hopes to distract herself for at least a little while. All she could find were talk shows about teenage mothers making their ex-boyfriends take paternity tests or boring cable programs about improving your home and garden. The exercise show on the health channel would have been mildly entertaining if Alison felt like moving.

Alison sat there for the longest time with a glazed expression on her face, twisting the chain between her fingers. She didn't even hear Livvie when she knocked on the door. Livvie walked in. She saw Alison staring blankly at the TV in the dim room.

"Alison, you didn't answer when I knocked on the door, so I just came right in."

Alison looked up to see Livvie standing over her. "That's okay," she said, barely above a whisper.

Livvie's gaze turned to the television at the angry man pointing to his picture and the baby picture beside it, claiming they looked nothing like each other. "What are you watching, Alison?" Livvie took the remote and turned the television off.

"Nothing."

Livvie sat down on the couch beside her friend. "Hey, are you okay?"

Alison looked at her. "I had no idea it would hurt this much, Livvie."

"I’m so sorry, sweetie," was all Livvie could think of to say as she gave Alison a hug.

"He um…he left this for me." Alison held up the chain.

"Oh, that chain he would always wear."

"Yeah. He never took it off. It's all I have left of him."

"Well then it must have been very important to him, so for him to give it to you must mean that he really loves you."

Alison shook her head in agreement.

"Oh, I um, I brought you some food. I thought you might be hungry. It's some of your muffins, so I know you like it."

"That's really nice of you, Livvie. But uh, I really don't feel like eating anything right now."

"Okay, well maybe later?"

"Yeah, definitely."

"Well then why don't I go run you a bath or something?"

"You know, Livvie? I'm glad that you like, came over here and stuff, but I think that maybe I just want to be by myself for a little while."

"Alison…"

"Please, Livvie. Don't worry about me. I'm just going to go sleep or something. You'll come back later though, right?"

"I can come back later if that's what you want."

"Thanks, Livvie."

"Listen, I'm going to go back to the bakery and hold down the fort."

"No, you don't have to do that, Livvie. Just keep it closed. I don't care."

"I'll come back later, all right?"

"Okay."

Livvie gave Alison a hug and left to go back to the bakery, even though Alison had said not to worry about it.

Alison looked at her hand. She had been holding the chain for so long that it had left an imprint in her hand. She clasped the chain tightly, picked up her pink rose, and left to go sleep some more.

~*~*~*~

Ed was shuffling some papers around his desk when there was a soft knocking on his door.

"Come in," he said.

Rafe, obviously looking like the saddest angel in heaven, walked into the room and sat down on the chair in front of Ed's desk, saying nothing.

"Welcome back," Ed said.

Rafe just gave him a look that said "whatever".

"You know, Rafe, you're actually a couple hours late. I called you in here four hours ago."

"Well sorry, Ed, I guess I just wasn't in a chatty mood."

"You miss her."

"What was your first clue?" Rafe said sarcastically.

"You wanna guess why I called you in here, wise guy?"

"Oh, goodie! I get another assignment!"

"Do you want another assignment?"

"You know, Ed, I see what you're trying to do here," Rafe said, calmly. "You think that by giving me something to do, it will help me take my mind off of Alison. But, Ed, I don't see that happening. I don't want to try to forget her. Alison is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and losing her was the worst pain I have ever experienced. I mean, have you been watching her since I left? She's a complete wreck! And it's killing me…er, sorta, you know, to see her go through that much pain and know that I can't be there to just hold her and make it better. So, Ed, if you don't mind, whatever it is that you want me to do, can it just wait, because I really feel like I could use some time to myself right now."

"No, sorry, Rafe, can't do that. I think you need to do this. I think you'll want to do this, actually."

Rafe stood up. "No, Ed, I told you, I don't want another assignment right now. Trust me, you don't want to put me in charge of something because with the way my mind is lately, I'm not thinking straight. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go back to my cloud and...mope."

"Well I'm sorry to hear that, Rafe. I was under the impression that you _wanted_ to go back to Earth."

Rafe's hand froze at the doorknob. He turned around. "What did you just say?"

 


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Someone call the PC writers and tell them to stop stealing my ideas!! J/k LOL, or either that, tell them to hire me as a writer for the show;) Also, I’m sure Rafe wasn't really 16 when Caleb killed him, and I'm sure Alison is probably younger on the show, but I had to tweak the ages a bit to make my story work so just go w/ it…ahh, the advantages of being a fanfic writer…

originally posted 6-1-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

26

~*~*~*~

When Alison woke up, she at first thought it was really late, because the room was dark, but it was only a couple hours later. It was dark because apparently, a rain shower had passed through and it was still cloudy. Alison decided that it matched her gloomy mood.

Alison, not caring how worn out or tired she looked, walked to the church. She walked over the wet grass and up the stone steps. She walked through the door. It was dim there, and candles were lit. She saw a woman getting up and waited for her to leave until she sat down at the pew. Alison held Rafe's chain between her fingers. With tears in her eyes, she looked up.

"Rafe, you said that anytime I needed to talk to you, I could just look up and talk and you would hear me. I'm trying so hard to be strong, Rafe. I really, really am, but…but it's not working. You haven't even been gone for a day and I already feel like my life has stopped. And I know what you're thinking, you're thinking that I should just give it time, and the pain will eventually go away and I'll move on. But, Rafe, I don't think it will. Having you gone is this pain that I feel could go on forever. When I woke up this morning and saw that you weren't next to me, I just felt like…well I felt like my heart had stopped and that my world was just crashing down on me. I've just gotten so used to waking up in your arms that it was sort of a shock to wake up and have you not be there."

Alison looked down at the chain in her hands. "You know, when I touch this chain, it makes me feel closer to you, Rafe, like I have a part of you left with me. I remember how you would always wear this…and then I would…I would play with this chain after we would make love, and you would be holding me in your arms so tight." Alison closed her eyes, trying to recapture the moment in her mind. "I felt so safe in your arms, like nothing bad could ever touch me because I had an angel there to protect me. It's like I can almost still feel you, like you're reaching out to me but I just can't touch you. But I remember everything, every touch, every kiss. I remember how warm your body would feel next to mine. And the way your smile could just make my heart beat so fast. Those sensations and images are just embedded in my memory, and I keep replaying them in my mind. Your love is just so overwhelming that I feel like I could just reach out and touch it. I feel like I could reach out and touch you…but I know that's not possible. It's just not possible…"

~*~*~*~

Rafe stared at Ed, his face full of questions and excitement. "Ed, what-what are you talking about?"

"Well I was saying that I had thought you wanted to go back to earth…but if you would prefer to go back to your cloud and mope, well please, by all means, be my guest. I'm sure we can work out some kind of arrangement to keep you up here."

"Ed! I can…I get to go back?!"

"No, you just said you didn't want anything I was offering you."

"ED!" Rafe yelled in frustration.

Then, Ed simply smiled, and Rafe knew that he was only teasing him.

"Okay, so you're not messing with me, you're serious? I'm allowed to go back?"

"You're going back."

Rafe laughed in excitement. "Ed! You're the greatest!" Rafe excitedly hugged the older angel. He talked a mile a minute. "So? How long do I get to go back? Do I get like, another 13 weeks? Or is this like, a bonus or something or like another come back at Christmas Eve type thing…or what? What? Just tell me."

"Hmm, not exactly."

"'Not exactly'? What does that mean? Tell me, please. Is it like, just for five minutes or something? What? I'll take whatever I can get. I have to see Alison again."

"No, your visit with Alison is going to be a bit more permanent than five minutes."

"Permanent? I don't understand, what are you talking about?"

Ed laughed. "Son, you're just not getting this, are you?"

"Getting what? Ed, please, tell me what you're talking about! How long is my stay on earth this time?"

"Sit down, Rafe."

Rafe did as he was told, but he was becoming very impatient…he was going to see Alison again!

"You're getting a second chance at life, kid."

The words almost took Rafe's breath away. "You mean I…I get to be human again?"

Ed smiled at Rafe, who was positively beaming with happiness. "Yes, and you'll get to spend your life with Alison."

Rafe laughed, wondering if he was dreaming. He had the urge to pinch himself just to make sure this was really happening. "How is this happening? Ed, I know how you are when it comes to the rules, and I never read a clause like this."

"Well circumstances like this don't happen very often."

"Did you like, pull some strings or something with the um…with the big guy?"

"No, no strings were pulled. Let's just say you came here to heaven a bit, no actually, way too prematurely."

"Ed, are you going to start speaking in English sometime soon?"

Ed laughed. He could tell Rafe was getting very impatient. He would just cut to the chase. "Rafe, do you remember when you couldn't get Alison and Jamal back together and you were worried that you had somehow ruined fate by coming back and trying to fix things?"

"Yeah. What's that have to do with anything?"

"Well the thing is, Rafe, you thought you were messing fate up…but you were actually putting it right back on track. You see, Caleb was never supposed to have killed you, but somehow, he did, and then he single-handedly managed to affect the destinies of almost everyone you know, including yourself."

"And that relates how to Alison and I?"

"In more ways than you know. You and Alison were meant to meet and fall in love years ago, but when Caleb killed you, well, let's just say that he really screwed fate up."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that Alison and I were supposed to meet in 1991 and we would have fell in love when she was only 12 years old?"

Ed laughed. "Hardly. You were supposed to meet in 1993, when you were 18 years old, and Alison 14. You would have discovered that you had family in America, your cousin Lucy, and that's what would have brought you to Port Charles, and eventually, Alison."

Rafe's head was spinning as he tried to take all of this in.

"So we were always meant to be. Well what would have happened once I came to Port Charles?"

"Alison was really lonely back then. You, being the nice guy you are, would have befriended her, and then, you would have become the best of friends."

"And lovers?" Rafe smiled.

"Not until a few years later." Ed winked.

"Wait, Ed, you still haven't answered my question. Why do I get to go back?"

Ed laughed. "To put fate back on track, that's why! Just like you did when you went back to help defeat Caleb and reunite the couples that he had torn apart. But only this time, you're going back to fulfill your own destiny. And because the love you and Alison share is so strong, because you have been able to find that connection that you were always meant to have, then you've made it possible for you to return to her and get a second chance at life."

"But, Ed, there's still something I don't understand. I begged you to send me back on New Year's and you wouldn't let me go until I found that clause in the rule book, you know, the one about giving up my angel powers? Why didn't you just let me stay on Earth if Alison and I were always meant to be?"

"Because it had to be you to find that clause about going back to earth. I couldn't just tell you. You and Alison had to find that connection you have on your own in order to bring you back to her."

"So I really get to go back?" Rafe asked, almost not believing it.

Ed smiled at Rafe. It warmed his heart to see Rafe so happy. "You get to go back, kid."

Rafe was suddenly on his feet. "When do I get to go back? Can I go back now? Please!" he begged excitedly.

"Not just yet."

"What? Ed, you have to let me go back! Please! Why can't I go back now? I just…please, if you knew how much I need to hold Alison in my arms, I love her so much…"

"I know you're anxious to get back to Alison."

"Well then why can't I go now?"

"Well, Rafe, believe it or not, there are a lot of people up here in Heaven that are going to miss you, and we're not going to see you back here until, well, until a very long time from now."

Rafe paused and thought about what Ed was saying to him.

"I'm going to miss you, kid," Ed said with a tear in his eye. "I always thought of you as a son to me."

Rafe smiled, and then pulled Ed in for a hug. "Thank you," he whispered to him.

~*~*~*~

Rafe's chain dangled from Alison's fingers as her arm extended over the floor as she slept on the couch.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Alison snapped out of her slumber and clumsily made her way to the door.

She opened it, and her heart stopped.

"RAFE!"

"I'm back, Alison!"

"OH MY GOD! YOU'RE BACK! YOU'RE HERE!" Alison jumped into his embrace and held him as tight as she could…

xoxo

Alison was jarred out of her sleep by a knocking at the door. She hopped to her feet and ran to the door. "Rafe!" she called out as she opened it. Her smile faded when she saw it was only Livvie.

"I'm sorry, Ali, it's just me."

"Oh, no, sweetie, I'm glad to see you. Come in."

"You look tired."

The two women walked over to the couch.

"Yeah, I am. I was sleeping just now. I was having this dream about Rafe. I heard knocking at the door and when I opened it, it was him."

"You must have heard me knocking. I'm sorry I got your hopes up."

"No, don't be sorry."

"Alison, are you okay? You haven't been sleeping on this couch all day, have you?"

"No, I haven't. I actually went out earlier for some fresh air, and I took a walk to our church."

"Your church?"

Alison smiled. "Yeah. I didn't tell you this, Livvie, but Rafe and I were taking a walk one day and we came across this little church. And then, we decided to get married."

"Married?! What?"

Alison laughed. "No, not a real marriage."

"Oh."

"Well, it was real in our hearts. It was more of a symbolic marriage, a promise we made each other to love each other forever."

"That sounds really sweet."

"I went there to think. I feel closer to Rafe there, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Livvie, you didn't tell Jack or Jamal about Rafe being gone, did you?"

"No, I haven't said anything. Why?"

"Well you could you maybe not say anything? Especially to Jamal. The last thing I want is for either of them to think that Rafe just dumped me and having them try to get my mind off of him and then trying to explain things to them. I just don't want to deal with any of that right now."

"Okay, I won't say anything to anyone."

"Thanks, Livvie." Alison was silent for a while. She focused on playing with Rafe's chain.

"Sweetie, have you eaten at all today?"

"I had the muffins you brought over."

"And that's all?"

"I'm not really hungry."

"Alison, you need to eat or you're going to give yourself a headache."

"Okay, okay."

"Look, why don't I go cook you something, okay? And you can just go take a hot shower or a bath until it's ready. It'll make you feel a little better."

"Okay, I guess you're right. Thank you, Livvie." Alison reached over and hugged her best friend.

"You're welcome."

Alison took Livvie's suggestion and took a bubble bath, but it really wasn't as relaxing as she hoped it would be. She held Rafe's chain above the sudsy water and thought of Rafe. Then, she heard a song that they had danced to play on the radio. Rafe would not stop haunting her.

After dinner, Alison decided that she really wanted to back to bed. When Livvie saw the disarray the sheets were in, she started to pick them up. "I can change these sheets and make the bed for you…"

"No!" Alison ran over to the bed to stop her. "Please, Livvie, don't."

"Okay, okay, I won't. How about I just stay over or at least until you fall asleep?"

"No, Livvie, you don't have to do that."

"But I wouldn't mind, Alison."

"Yeah, I know, and that's really sweet of you. But Jack is going to get suspicious and I promise you, Livvie, I'm not this fragile piece of glass that is going to break. I'll be just fine. I just want to go to bed."

"I'm just looking out for you."

"I know you are, and I love you for that. Thank you for everything, Livvie." She hugged her.

"You're welcome, and I love you too. You call me, okay?"

"I'll call you tomorrow. I promise."

After Livvie left, Alison fixed the sheets on the bed so that they at least weren't falling off anymore and climbed under them. She was still clutching Rafe's chain. She carefully put it around her neck so that she could be sure she wouldn't lose it during the night. Then, she reached over and held Rafe's pillow. She buried her face into it and inhaled. It still smelled like him. That was comforting in a way, and it helped her fall asleep.

Alison wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping, but she suddenly felt a tickling sensation on her cheek.

Rafe smiled as Alison slept. He took the pink rose and ran it along her face.

 


	27. Chapter 27

originally posted 6-5-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

27

~*~*~*~

Alison wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping, but she suddenly felt a tickling sensation on her cheek.

Rafe smiled as Alison slept. He took the pink rose and ran it along her face.

Alison slowly opened her eyes, gently pulled away from the dream she had been having. Was that a rose she smelled? Her vision was blurry from so much sleep. In the early morning light, she thought she saw a figure. Alison blinked her eyes, not sure if she was still dreaming or not. And finally, her sleepy eyes came into focus. And the figure looked like Rafe! Alison's eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she sat up.

"I'm dreaming," she gasped. "I'm dreaming."

Rafe smiled at her. "You're not dreaming, Alison. You're not dreaming."

Alison, with her mouth still gaping in confusion, reached over and touched him arms. He felt real enough. "Oh my god." She ran her hands along his arms, and he was definitely real. And she felt very awake! "You're here. You're really here! You're real!"

Rafe flashed her that killer smile of his.

"Oh my god!" Alison said excitedly and fell into his arms. "I can't believe you're here!" Alison held on tightly to him and cried into his shoulder.

Alison lifted her head and looked at her angel in the face. He cradled her face in his hands and shook his head. "Yeah, I'm here." He wiped away the tears falling down her cheeks.

"I've missed you so much," Alison whispered. "Those eyes…those green eyes. And your smile." Alison put her hands on Rafe's face.

"Your lips." Rafe brought Alison's face to his and they had a very long-awaited kiss. Rafe then laughed softly. "You're crying." He looked into her eyes.

"I'm just so happy."

"So am I." Rafe put his arms around her and hugged her again.

"I never thought I'd see you again." Alison looked at Rafe. "How long do you get to stay? How long is your pass this time? Do you get another 13 weeks or what?" Alison smiled hopefully.

"Only angels get passes, Alison."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm not exactly an angel anymore. I'm getting a second chance at life, and I get to spend it with you. You were right all along, Alison, we were meant to keep this connection. All of our dreams that we have, a home, a family, just growing old together…it's ours, Alison. It's all ours."

"What?!"

"Yeah, it's true."

"Rafe!" Alison said excitedly and hugged him so tightly that Rafe almost couldn't breathe. "How is that possible?" Alison asked, searching for answers in his face.

"It's a long story that I'll tell you later. But right now, I'm here, and I'm with you. That's all that matters."

"Yeah," Alison said and shook her head. The two hugged again and held each other for a while.

Rafe saw the chain around Alison's neck. He picked up the end of it. "You're wearing my chain."

"Yeah. I've kept it close to me ever since you left, because it would make me feel closer to you. But I don't have to do that anymore, do I?" Alison carefully took the chain off her neck and put it around Rafe's. "I have you here with me now."

"Yeah, you do."

"But you'll still always be my angel." Alison touched his cheek lightly, and then brought her lips to his and kissed him.

~*~*~*~

"Mmm," Rafe said as took a bite out of a cinnamon roll heavily coated with icing. "If there is one thing that I have missed almost as much as you…it's this."

Alison laughed. "They don't have cinnamon rolls in heaven?"

"Not your cinnamon rolls."

"Oh."

"What?"

"You have frosting on your mouth."

"Oh," Rafe said and wiped the corner of his mouth with his finger.

Alison laughed at him. "No, no, it's on the other side. Here, let me get it." Alison leaned forward and licked the sugary frosting off. They laughed and then kissed.

"OH MY GOD!" Livvie exclaimed.

Rafe and Alison turned their heads to the front door to see Livvie, who was white as a ghost from the shock. The muffins she had been holding went all over the floor.

Alison laughed softly, and she thought of how ironic it was that Rafe tended to have that effect-making people drop muffins.

Livvie walked over to the two slowly. She looked at Rafe. "How did you…how in the world did you…I thought you were in Heaven!" Livvie finally got out.

Alison smiled and put her arms around Rafe. "He was able to come back to me."

"Are you staying long?" Livvie asked him.

"Yeah, you could say that," Rafe said with a smile.

Alison could tell Livvie was still full of questions. "It's a long story, Livvie. I'll tell you later."

"Well, um, I came over because I was worried about you. I thought you might want some breakfast or something, but I see you're already eating. But I guess that's okay since the muffins I dropped have fuzz all over them now."

Alison and Rafe laughed.

"Do you want me to open up the bakery for you today or what?"

"Um, yeah, I'll be there, um, maybe later?"

"No, no, why don't you take a day off? You've been though a lot and I'm sure you two want some time alone."

"No, Livvie, I couldn't put all of that on you."

"But it wouldn't be any trouble, Alison. Look, I'll close the shop early, and Jack will come by later. He can help out if things get busy."

"Jack? Oh, if I were you, keep him away from those brownies because he ate like a whole tray of them last week."

Livvie laughed. "It's really no problem, okay? Just take the day off, alright? I think you really could use it."

"Okay. Livvie?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you…for everything. You're such a good friend."

Livvie smiled. "You're welcome. It's great to have you back, Rafe."

"It's great to be back." He and Alison smiled at each other.

"Okay, see you two later. Call me," she whispered to Alison and left.

"I have such a great friend!" Alison said. She smiled at Rafe. "She told me to take the whole day off so I could be with my guy. How nice is that?"

"It's very nice, but um, whatever will we do?"

"I could think of a couple of things." Alison leaned forward and kissed him. "We'll spend every moment together today."

"Not just today, Alison. Forever." They kissed again…

 


	28. Chapter 28

originally posted 6-13-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

28

~*~*~*~

Rafe ran his fingers along Alison's back and shoulders. Her skin was so soft. He could hear her gentle rhythmic breathing. He didn't want to disturb Alison's slumber, but the desire to kiss her neck was just too overwhelming to ignore. He buried his nose into the softness of the back of her neck and kissed it several times. He heard Alison giggle.

"That tickles."

Rafe grinned. "Well then I'll have to…kiss you some more." He kissed her neck again and Alison laughed harder.

Alison turned her head around and smiled at Rafe.

Rafe brushed her blonde hair from her face. "You're so beautiful."

"I love you," Alison said. She closed her eyes and waited for Rafe to kiss her lips, which he did.

After the kiss, Alison stretched out her arms. "I'm so happy. This has been the best day of my life, well, one of the best days of my life."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm-hmm. I feel like, you know, when you're a kid and you beg your parents so hard for something but they keep saying no, but then they surprise you and give it to you anyway. Could you just pinch me, because I'm still not completely convinced that this isn't a dream."

Rafe laughed. "I keep thinking that myself. But I know this is real. I can feel you in my arms, and the way I feel right now is better than any dream."

Alison grinned at Rafe again and they kissed. Then Alison nestled into his neck and Rafe held her tighter. Alison's hand found Rafe's chain and she played with it. Rafe took hold of her other hand and brought it to his lips to kiss.

"So, what do you want to do for the rest of the day?"

"Mmm," Rafe thought. "Absolutely nothing. I just want to stay in bed with you all afternoon."

"Me too." Alison turned her head to Rafe and they kissed again. "I'm so glad you're back, Rafe. I just felt so completely lost without you."

"I'm so sorry you felt that way for even a second."

"Why did you take so long to get back to me?" Alison teased.

"It was only a day."

"Yeah, twenty-four hours of torture!" Alison laughed.

"Well, it's not that I didn't want to…trust me. The second I found out I could come back to Earth, I was ready. But before I could go, there were people I had to, you know, say goodbye to, because I won't be seeing them for a long time now. Like, my family up there of course, and then there's my friends. There's Larry, Henry, and Bill. And then there's Ed."

"Ed, that name sounds familiar. I've heard you talk about him before. Your boss, right?"

"Yeah, he's my boss. He's the one who gave me the assignment of coming here to help defeat Caleb and to get the couples back together. And Ed's the one who allowed me to come back at New Year's Eve. He's sorta like, I don't know, a mentor or something to me. I'm like the son he never had, because he never had any children but when he became my boss, he just took me under his wing so to speak."

"Well, I'm not surprised that Ed took a special liking to you. After all, you are totally lovable and all."

"And you're not biased at all, huh?"

Alison laughed. Then she sat up and leaned on Rafe. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think this calls for a celebration."

Rafe raised his eyebrow and gave her a wicked grin. "Isn't that what we've been doing for the past few hours?"

"What I meant was…" Alison laughed. "Well, yeah, I guess we have been doing that! But what I meant was well, we should go out tonight! We should go to the fanciest restaurant, drink the finest champagne, dance all night, and enjoy every single second of it. How 'bout it?"

Rafe shook his head. "You know what? We don't need to do that."

"You don't want to?"

"Well no, what I'm saying is that we don't need to go out on the town and celebrate that I'm back and that we're together. All I'm saying is that just having you, right here in my arms, and knowing that we're going to make every dream that we have come true, that's all the celebration I really need."

Alison smiled at him as she moved a strand of hair from his face. "Have I told you today how much I love you?"

"Well, not for a few minutes, but I don't mind hearing it again."

Alison leaned down and met her lips with Rafe's…

~*~*~*~

Night came, and Rafe and Alison took an evening walk to get some fresh air. Eventually, they stumbled upon the bridge, so of course they had to stop.

"Oh, the bridge!" Alison said as she smiled at Rafe and took hold of his arm.

"No light shows this time," Rafe said.

"That's okay, I've got something better than a light show now."

Rafe put his hands on her face and kissed her.

Alison leaned over the rail. "It's such a beautiful night. Look at all of those stars out there."

"I know, it just goes on forever doesn't it?"

"You were going to kiss me that night, weren't you?" Alison smiled at Rafe.

"Hmm?"

"You know, the night with the dancing lights."

Rafe smiled at her. "Well I couldn't help it, you were just so beautiful. But I stopped myself."

"I wish you hadn't."

"Really?"

Alison shook her head. "That's why when you kissed me at the apartment, I didn't exactly pull away. I wanted it to happen. I was hoping it would happen."

Rafe stood behind Alison and wrapped his arms around her. "Well you've got me now." Rafe and Alison looked up at the sky.

"Those stars," Alison said. "Gosh, you know, it seems like tonight they are brighter than usual."

"Did you know that whenever you see a star twinkle, that means another angel has gotten his wings?"

Alison smiled at Rafe. "You making that up?"

Rafe just laughed.

"Ready to go home?" she asked.

"Yeah, but um, let's go to one more place first."

~*~*~*~

"Will you just wait for me? I'll be right back," Rafe said.

"Take your time. I'll be right here waiting for you."

"Okay." Rafe gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and walked to the front of the church.

Alison smiled at him. She picked up a match and lit a candle. Then, she closed her eyes and said a prayer.

Rafe sat down at the first pew and looked up. "Ed, I know that you can hear me wherever I am, but I just felt like I really needed to talk to you here. Ever since I came back, I can't really feel that connection anymore, you know? But I feel closer to Heaven when I'm here. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how unbelievably happy I am right now at this moment. All I want to do is to make Alison happy, and when she's happy, so am I. I promise you, I'll never let a day go by when I don't think of how incredibly lucky I am. I mean, how many people get a second chance to just live, you know? And I know I already told you this, but thank you for all you've done for me. It sounds so insignificant to just say "thank you" because you've done so much for me. Well, I guess what I'm getting at is that…well, I miss ya, Ed. I miss your witty comebacks to everything I say. You're always making me laugh at something. And that look you would get on your face when I was doing something I probably shouldn't do. You know, you made that look a lot! Well anyway, thanks for being there for me. I should go now, I have a very beautiful blonde waiting for me. I'll talk to you later."

Rafe got up from the seat and walked back over to Alison. They smiled at each other. Rafe put his arm around her shoulder and they left the church.

Up in Heaven, Ed had a little tear in his eye. "I miss you, too, kid. But seeing you happy means the world to me."

 


	29. Chapter 29

originally posted 7-1-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

29

~*~*~*~

Rafe awoke to the feeling of Alison climbing on top of him. He opened his eyes and saw her face inches from his.

"Good morning," she grinned and kissed him before he even had a chance to get the sleep out of his eyes.

"Mmm, yes it is," Rafe said.

"I love this."

"Love what?"

"Rafe, do you realize that every morning for the rest of our lives is going to start out like this? Exactly like this."

Rafe responded by putting his arms around her and kissing her.

"How about some breakfast?" Alison asked.

"That sounds wonderful."

"Okay, I'll go get that started then." Alison started to get up but Rafe pulled her back, wanting to kiss her just one last time before he would let her go. Alison laughed and walked out of the room.

As Alison got some coffee started, she looked out the kitchen window and smiled at how the early morning sun lit up the sky in beautiful hues of orange and purple. It was so weird, Alison thought to herself, that she now noticed little things like how beautiful the sky looked in the morning. She never had thoughts like that before she met Rafe. He made her appreciate so many things in life, especially the little things. And it was just in that moment that she felt him. Rafe wrapped his strong arms around her and kissed her neck. It sent shivers up Alison's spine. She had never felt happier.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked her.

Alison turned her head around. "You of course. I just can't get you out of my mind. Not that I would want to or anything."

Rafe smiled and gave her a kiss. "Oh yeah, I could definitely get used to every morning being like this."

~*~*~*~

Later that morning at the bakery, Livvie stared at Alison with her jaw dropped. "Wow, so that's how Rafe got to come back to you?" Alison had told her the incredible story about Rafe coming back to earth. "You know, Alison, if we hadn't have dealt with a vampire first-hand last year, I probably wouldn't have believed a story like that."

"Yeah, I know. It's pretty amazing, isn't it? Rafe was right; there really is a plan for everything."

"If I didn't believe in soulmates before, I certainly do now. If it hadn't have been for Rafe, Jack and I would have never got back together. I have him to thank for that, because Jack is the love of my life and I don't know what I would do without him."

"Well that's because you two were never meant to be apart. Rafe was just making sure it stayed that way."

Livvie suddenly seemed preoccupied with straightening things on the counter. "Livvie?"

"Hmm?"

"What is it?"

"It's nothing, Alison."

"Livvie, we've been friends for a long time, so I know when you're holding back."

"Okay, it's Jamal."

"What about Jamal?"

"Well, now please don't take this the wrong way, I couldn't be happier for you and Rafe, and after the story you told me, well I don't have a doubt in my mind that you belong together."

"But?"

"If you're not Jamal's soul mate, then who is?"

"Jamal and I…well we just weren't meant to be, as much as we had thought we were. But I have a feeling that there's someone out there for Jamal, he just hasn't found her yet."

"Because there's a plan for everything," Livvie smiled.

"Exactly. And she'll be a very lucky girl because Jamal is a great guy."

"Did I just hear my name?" Jamal said.

Alison and Livvie looked up to see Jamal and Jack walk in.

"Ali and I were just talking about how you two are such nice guys and all."

"Oh, I see," Jack said and kissed Livvie on the cheek. "Well this nice guy is gonna go head back there and see what's cooking."

Livvie frowned. "I better go make sure he doesn't eat everything." She followed him.

"Well hello, stranger." Alison grinned at Jamal.

"Stranger?"

"Yeah. How come I haven't seen you around lately? You've been MIA."

"Me a stranger? Nah, nah, you're the one's who's been MIA. I came here the other day and you were nowhere in sight and Livvie was acting pretty weird. What was going on?"

"Oh, nothing. Things just uh, well they got sorta crazy for a while there but everything is perfect now."

Jamal gave her a look, knowing there was something more she wasn't telling him, but he decided to let it go. "Well you are right about something. I haven't been here as often as I should have."

"And why is that?"

"Well things got pretty hectic at the bike shop."

"Oh yeah, sure!" Alison teased.

"Okay, so they weren't really that busy. The truth is…I wasn't sure how awkward it would be if I came here and, you know…"

"And see me with Rafe."

"Yeah."

"Jamal…"

"No, no, you don't have to say anything, Ali. We already had this conversation. You know all I want for you is to be happy."

"I was just going to say that I think of you as one of my best friends, and I don't ever want you to feel like things have changed, because they haven't really. I mean, we're not together like we used to be, but the friendship, well nothing can break that bond."

"I know, you're right."

"So don't feel weird," Alison said with a smile. Jamal smiled back.

"You know, you've really done a lot to this place since I last saw it. If anyone knows how excellent of a cook you are, it's me. Now all of Port Charles knows it. I'm really proud of you, Ali."

"Thank you."

Jamal smiled. "Why don't you ring up a couple of those blueberry muffins for me? I've really missed them."

Alison smiled and gave him the muffins. "No charge."

"Ali, you've got to start charging your customers! You can't just let your friends eat for free."

Alison laughed. "Oh don't worry, I don't intend to do that! A couple of muffins, I don't care about. But when Jack tries to sneak off with a tray full of those brownies that I have to sell, that's a problem."

Jamal laughed. "Well you should probably go check on him now."

"Why? You think he's already eaten half my baked goods?"

"No, I think you should check on him because he's all up in that batter or whatever." Jamal pointed to Jack.

"Oh lord." Alison rushed over to the back. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"I just couldn't resist a little taste."

"Well don't put your fingers in it! I have to serve that to customers!"

Livvie walked over with an apron and put it around Jack's neck.

"Whoa, what are you doing?"

"If you keep insisting on eating everything that Alison and I have baked then you're just going to have to help replace it."

"Oh, no, this isn't fair! What, Jamal gets free food but I have to help cook?"

"Well Jamal didn't try to take a full tray of brownies last week now did he?" Livvie asked.

Alison laughed. "You look kinda cute in an apron, Jack."

Jack just shot the women a look and Jamal just stood there laughing.

~*~*~*~

Rafe found himself at the church again. It seemed like he was always ending up here somehow or another. Alison was still at the bakery, and Rafe was counting the hours until she would close shop and they could spend the evening together.

Rafe was more into his journal writing again. He hadn't wrote in it in a while because why write when he could spend that time with Alison? But now that he knew he was here to stay, he wanted to make sure that he would remember every single moment.

"Hello, again," a friendly voice said.

Rafe looked up and recognized the reverend from before. "Hello."

"I hope I'm not interrupting, but I remember we talked before and I wanted to see how you were doing."

Rafe smiled. "No, you're not interrupting. I'm actually glad I ran into you."

The reverend sat down and introduced himself. "I'm Reverend Lovejoy."

"Rafe Kovich." Rafe shook the reverend's hand.

"I have to say, you seem to be in much better spirits than before."

"I am. A few weeks back, my girlfriend and I thought we were going to be separated, but it turns out, things worked out and we can stay together."

"That's wonderful."

"What you said to us that night, it actually helped. Thank you."

"Well I'm glad I could help. If you ever need to talk to someone again, I'm always here to listen."

"Thank you."

The reverend and Rafe talked for a few more minutes, and then he left Rafe to himself in the church again.

Rafe finished his journal entry and stood up with a grin on his face. And suddenly, he started to understand why he was always so drawn to the church, and it wasn't just because he had been an angel.

 


	30. Chapter 30

originally posted 7-10-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

30

~*~*~*~

Alison sat on the park bench and twisted her hair as she watched some children in the distance playing. She then heard Rafe come back over.

"I have something for you." Rafe pulled out from behind his back some purple wildflowers.

"Aww! I love them!" Alison took the flowers and smelled them. "I love the way they smell."

"They're not pink roses, but…"

"I love all kinds of flowers! Thank you." Alison gave Rafe a little kiss on his lips.

Rafe's hand found Alison's. "You're so beautiful. I just love the way you smile when I give you flowers."

Alison smiled at Rafe. "Are you for real?"

"What?" Rafe gave her his confused look.

"You, Rafe Kovich, are an incredibly romantic man. You shower me with flowers, you tell me all the time how beautiful I am and how much you love me…come on, a good man is hard to find, and you're almost too good to be true. I almost feel like I'm one of those lucky women in those romantic movies or a soap opera or something!"

Rafe laughed. "I'm very real, Alison." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

Alison smiled and tapped her lips with her finger. Rafe took the hint and gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Aww, look at you two!" Rafe and Alison's kiss was interrupted by Lucy, who stood in front of the bench beaming at them.

"Hi, cousin," Rafe said.

"Hi, Lucy," Alison said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt, it's just…oh, you two look so darn cute together!"

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other.

"Where are you off to Lucy?" Rafe asked his cousin.

"Oh, just on my way home but I thought I'd cut through the park to get to my car. I just had myself a little shopping spree at Wyndham's. And I made the mistake of bringing Don with me. You know, it's bad enough when it's just me, but whenever I go with Don, I seem to end up with more than I had planned to buy in the first place because he's always throwing his two cents in on what looks great!" Lucy held up her shopping bags.

"You seemed to have bought out the store, Lucy!" Alison laughed.

"You think?" Lucy laughed. "So what are you two lovebirds up to today?"

"Hmm, nothing," Alison smiled. "After our walk in the park, we'll probably go home, hang out for a while, then have a nice dinner, light some candles…."

"I take it you two are enjoying the house?" Lucy smiled.

"We are, Lucy," Rafe said. "And we really appreciate you letting us stay there."

"You know, you two can stay there as long as you like. In fact, you know what? I'm going to give it to you, cuz."

"What?"

"Yeah, I think that's a great idea! I don't live there anymore, and you two are already staying there. So why not?"

"Lucy, are you serious? You're giving us your house?" Alison asked.

"It's already done, it's yours."

"Oh wow, thank you, Lucy!" Alison said with a smile.

"I don't really know what to say," Rafe said, laughing. "Thank you, Lucy."

"You're welcome. Now, I should probably get home and start unloading these!"

"Oh wait, Lucy. I just had an idea," Alison said. "Why don't you and Kevin and Christina come over tonight? I'll make dinner."

Lucy smiled. "Hmm, well I'm up for getting out of cooking tonight. Okay, we'll be there! What time?"

"Six."

"Okay, six it is then! I'll see you later. Ta!"

"Ta!" Alison said cheerfully.

"Bye, Lucy." Rafe laughed as Lucy ran off with her armful of shopping bags. He turned to Alison. "Well, shall we go home?" Alison shook her head yes, then Rafe took her hand and they left.

~*~*~*~

"Mmm, something really smells delicious." Rafe walked into the kitchen.

"It's my pasta sauce. Here, have a little taste." Alison spooned some of the sauce out of the pot and put it to Rafe's mouth. "Good?"

Rafe smiled and mumbled, "Mmm-hmm."

"Hello?" a voice called out from the living room.

"Oh, Lucy's here. Go tell her that dinner will be ready in just a minute!"

Rafe walked out into the living room and said hello to Lucy and Kevin. Then he kneeled down to Christina. "And you, I have a little surprise for you." Rafe picked up a balloon tied to a small teddy bear. He handed the balloon to the child. "See? It's tied to this little bear, so that way, it won't get away from you this time. The bear is holding on to it."

Christina took the balloon and bear excitedly.

"What do you say, Christina?" Kevin said gently.

"Thank you!" she said with a big smile.

Rafe laughed. "You're welcome."

"Well this is nice, Christina, now Bananas the bear has a little friend."

Christina took her balloon and her two bears over to the corner to play.

"Alison said dinner will be ready in just a little while."

"Hello!" Alison said cheerfully. "Kevin, Lucy, please, have a seat. Rafe, you want to go finish setting the table?"

"She's already making me do chores," Rafe said with a laugh and Alison gave him a playful push to the kitchen.

"So what's for dinner?" Kevin asked. "Whatever it is, it smells really good."

"I thought I'd make some pasta," Alison looked over and saw Christina. "Christina," Alison said softly and walked over to the child. "I also made some chocolate chip cookies for you. Would you like some of those?"

"Yeah!" she said.

Alison looked over at Lucy, and then added quickly, "After dinner, of course! Then you can have some cookies!"

"Alison! Your timer just went off!" Rafe called from the other room.

"Oh, dinner's ready. I'll be right back!"

"I'm hungry," Christina whined.

"Well then we're just going to have to feed you, then, aren't we?" Lucy said. Lucy went over to Christina and took her hand, then the three of them followed Alison to the kitchen.

~*~*~*~

Christina was the last to finish eating. Children always seemed to eat really slow. She had sauce all over her mouth, and Alison rushed to give Lucy a washcloth to wipe her with. Then, Christina got up out of her chair and went over to her mother. She whispered something into Lucy's ear.

Lucy smiled. "It's right that way." She pointed down the hallway and Christina ran off. "Potty break," she said with a laugh.

"So, Alison, Livvie was telling me about the bakery. I'm glad to hear things are going well," Kevin said.

"They sure are! You know, I never thought I'd ever run my own business, and I never thought it would be so successful either."

Rafe smiled at her. "Well, you know, you shouldn't be that surprised. You do, after all, have the best bakery in town."

"Oh, you are so biased, Rafe Kovich!"

"No, no, I agree with my cousin. A little bakery like yours is just what Port Charles needed."

"Alison, this was an incredible dinner. Lucy and I will have to come over more often."

"Aww, thank you, Kevin."

"Yes, I agree. And it was nice to not have to cook for a change!" Lucy laughed.

"Mommy! Mommy!" Christina ran to the table.

"What is it, sweet pea?"

"The light broked in the bathroom! I had to pee in the dark!"

Everyone at the table laughed.

"The light bulb must have went out," Rafe said.

"I'll go fix it," Kevin offered.

"Oh, thank you so much, Kevin. The light bulbs are in that hallway closet," Alison said.

Kevin went to go change the light bulb while everyone else stayed at the table to talk. A few minutes later, they heard Kevin scream and a thud.

"Doc!" Lucy screamed and everyone ran to the bathroom to see what had happened. They found Kevin on the floor.

"Doc! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just lost my balance when I was changing the bulb."

Lucy noticed Kevin rubbing his ankle. "Are you hurt?"

"Just my ankle, but I think it's fine."

"Let me get some ice for that!" Alison said.

"No, no, it's nothing serious."

Lucy helped Kevin stand up, but when he put pressure on his ankle, it was obvious that his ankle was not fine.

"That looks like it could be a sprain, Kevin," Rafe said.

"I don't think it's a sprain," Kevin insisted.

"No, I'm with Rafe. I think we need to take you to GH for that."

"Lucy, I just think it's sore."

"No, don't argue with me. You're going to the hospital. Whoever said that doctors make lousy patients was right!"

Christina tugged at Kevin's shirt. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm going to be just fine, sweetie. Looks like I just hurt my ankle, but it's nothing too bad."

"Okay, looks like we're going to have to cut this evening short."

"That's no problem. I'm so sorry you fell, Kevin," Alison said.

"I don't want to go to the hospital," Christina said.

"Oh, but sweet pea…" Lucy started.

"She can stay here, Lucy," Alison offered.

"Really, you don't mind?"

"No, we wouldn't mind," Rafe added.

"Would you like to stay here, Christina?" Lucy asked. Christina shook her head yes.

"Okay, I'll be back later to pick her up. Bye, sweet pea." Lucy kissed her daughter.

"Feel better, Daddy Kevin.”

Kevin smiled. "Thank you, sweetie." Kevin gave his daughter a kiss and then they left, leaving her with Rafe and Alison.

"Will Daddy Kevin be okay?"

Alison kneeled down to her level. "He's going to be just fine, Christina. He just has a little owwie on his ankle."

"Then why does he have to go the hospital?"

"Because the doctors there can make his ankle all better, but don't worry, I'm sure he'll be okay," Rafe reassured her.

"Hey, Christina! I've got something for you! I'll be right back!" Alison ran to the back room.

"Come on, let's go sit down." Rafe took the girl's hand and they sat down on the couch.

"Where's she going?"

"I think Alison just went to get something."

"This is my other bear Bananas." Christina picked up her bear and showed it to Rafe.

"Cute bear. Did you name him?"

"Mmm-hmm. He likes to eat bananas so I named him that."

"What are you going to name that one?" Rafe pointed to the bear with the balloon.

"Balloons, because he likes balloons."

Rafe laughed.

"I'm back!" Alison walked into the room carrying a little tiara.

"Where did you get that?" Rafe laughed.

"This is mine. Well, it used to be mine when I was her age. I had it in one of those boxes of my old stuff." Alison got down on the floor. "You know what this is, Christina?"

"A crown!"

"Yeah, or a tiara, and it's for princesses to wear. But unfortunately, I can't wear this anymore because it's too small. Rafe, do you see a princess that could wear this?"

"I think I see one right here!" Rafe tickled the girl and Christina laughed.

"Of course!" Alison took the tiara and put it on Christina's head. "Perfect fit. Can you do a little curtsy?" she whispered to the girl.

"What's that?"

Alison demonstrated what a curtsy was, and Christina did one for Rafe.

"Princess Christina!" Rafe said excitedly, "I am very honored to be in your presence. You are a lovely princess." Rafe bowed to Christina and kissed her hand. Christina giggled.

"And what would this princess like to do?" Alison asked.

"Play hide and go seek!"

"Do you play that with Serena?" Rafe asked.

Christina shook her head yes and took Rafe's hand. "Let's hide."

"Oh, okay, I guess I'm counting then!" Alison laughed.

"We'll hide somewhere good, Christina." Rafe looked back at Alison. "Turn around, no cheating!"

Alison laughed, turned around, and started to count. "1…2…3…"

"Here," Rafe whispered to Christina. The two crouched behind the curtain.

"…8…9…10! Ready or not, here I come!"

It was obvious to Alison where Rafe and Christina were hiding, but she decided to play along. "Christina? Rafe? Where are you?" She could hear the young girl giggling.

"Well, they aren't here." Alison looked behind the couch. Then, she headed for the curtain. "Hmm, are they…HERE?!" Alison pushed the curtain aside to reveal Rafe and Christina.

"Aww, she found us!" Rafe said.

Christina took Alison's hand. "You find," she told Rafe.

So then, Rafe counted, and Christina led Alison to the kitchen. She pointed under the table.

"Oh, I don't know if I can fit under there, Christina."

"Come on," she said.

"Ready or not, here I come!" Rafe hollered.

"Oh!" Alison quickly joined Christina under the table.

Rafe looked around the living room for a while, and eventually, he went to the kitchen. "Hmm, they couldn't be under the table could they?" he said aloud.

Christina laughed.

Rafe started to leave the kitchen, and then he suddenly came back and looked under the table, sending Christina into a fit of hysteria. "I found the princess!" he said in victory and scooped Christina up in the air. "And…I found the queen!" Rafe took Alison's hand and kissed it. Alison laughed.

"Horsy ride!"

"Horsy ride?" Rafe asked. "Alright, I think I can handle that." He put Christina on the floor and told her to climb on his back. Then, Rafe ran around the living room with Christina laughing the whole time. This game went on for about twenty minutes.

Rafe, exhausted, sat down on the couch and caught his breath.

"Christina." Alison motioned for the girl to come over to her. Alison whispered something in her ear. Then suddenly, Rafe saw both girls running towards him. Before he could ask what was going on, Alison and Christina were tickling Rafe, mercilessly.

"Okay, okay, okay, stop!! Please!" Rafe laughed.

"You know we're just having fun with you," Alison laughed.

"My hair bow came out." The girl held her ponytail holder up. Alison took it and offered to fix the child's hair.

"You have such pretty hair, Christina. Look at all of those curls!"

"I got my curls from my other Mommy."

"I wish my hair had curls like that! Well, who wants milk and cookies?"

"Me! Me! Me!" Christina cheered.

"Me, me! Me too," Rafe said and then laughed.

"Well come on, princess!" Alison held out her hand and she took it. "We'll bring some back for you," she told Rafe, and they went to the kitchen. Rafe smiled at them.

~*~*~*~

After a while, Alison decided to get out some more things from her box of memorabilia. There were some old toys of hers in there and Alison let Christina go through it and play with them. Alison sat on the couch and watched her. "Isn't she just darling?" Alison said to Rafe with a smile.

Rafe looked at Alison. "Yes, she is."

Christina walked over to Rafe. "Read this one."

Rafe picked up Christina and sat her on his lap. "Oh, this looks like a good book."

"Oh, I remember that!" Alison said. "That's my book of childhood stories! There's a ton of good ones in there. All the classics."

"Which story do you want me to read, Christina?"

The girl took the book and flipped through it. She turned to _The Three Little Pigs_. "Do the voices."

"The voices?"

"I think she means to talk like the characters," Alison said.

"Oh, okay," Rafe laughed.

"Hey, I'm going to go clean up the kitchen, I left it a mess. I'll let you two read."

Alison went to the kitchen and started to clean up. She couldn't help but laugh when she heard Rafe bellow, "Let me in, let me in, little pig, or I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!" But it was especially funny when she heard Rafe squeak, "Not by the hair of my chinny chin, chin!" Christina laughed every time.

After Alison had finished cleaning up, she went to the living room. She had wondered why it had suddenly gotten so quiet, and then she saw why. Rafe was asleep, the book was laying open on the couch, and Christina was snuggled up against him. Alison could not help but smile. She lit some candles and turned the lights off so it wasn't so bright in the room. The she sat on the chair and just watched them.

Not long afterwards, there was a soft knock on the door. It was Lucy, and Alison rushed over to let her in. "Hi, Lucy," she whispered. "How's Kevin?"

"He's fine, but he does in fact have a sprained ankle, so he'll have to stay off of that for a while."

"Well I'm glad it's nothing too serious. Come here, look at this."

Alison led Lucy over to the couch and pointed to Rafe and Christina.

"Aww, that's the cutest thing I've ever seen! Ooo, that would make a good picture."

"I already thought of that," Alison whispered and showed her the Polaroid. Alison walked over to Rafe and ran her fingers along his face. "Rafe."

"Hmm?" he woke up.

"Lucy's here."

"Oh."

"You fell asleep."

"I don't even remember closing my eyes," he said.

"Thank you for watching her," Lucy whispered as she gathered up Christina's things and picked the sleeping child up into her arms. "Ta."

"Goodnight," Rafe and Alison whispered back.

"Oh, I'm tired."

"Well you were exhausted."

"How's Kevin?"

"Fine, but his ankle is sprained."

"How long was I sleeping?"

"Oh, only like a half hour or so."

"Hmm."

"Wanna see how adorable you were?"

"What?"

Alison got up from the couch and grabbed the picture. "I took a picture of the two of you."

Rafe laughed. "She's a sweet little girl."

"And you're really good with children, you know that?"

"So are you."

Alison smiled, then she leaned closer to Rafe and they kissed.

 


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Author's note: Just thought I'd let you know…a character that has not appeared on the show yet, well she sort of has but not really lol, will be in this chapter. She'll probably be totally different on PC, but not knowing this character yet, I'm going to write her the way I want her to be written. Okay, happy reading!]

originally posted 7-12-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

31

~*~*~*~

"I have to say, your muffins are the _best_ in town! All of the women in my book club agree."

Alison smiled at the woman and thanked her for the compliment.

"She's right," a young woman said after the lady left. "I have a soft spot for those blueberry muffins myself. You wouldn't be willing to give away your secret recipe, now would you?" The girl took a purple pen out from behind her ear and somehow produced a little notepad from behind her back. She was serious about wanting this recipe.

Alison laughed. She recognized this girl because she had been here several times. And she looked like that girl that had been working at the Recovery Room a few weeks ago, only she wasn't wearing leather and she didn't have various colors of dye in her hair. "Sorry, but it's top secret. But um, I'm really glad you like them!"

"They're fabulous!"

"You look familiar. You've been here before, right?"

The girl smiled and extended her hand. "Marissa Leong. And yes, I've been here before. You must be Alison Barrington."

"That's me. Are you some kind of journalist or something?"

Marissa laughed. "I'm from the PC Herald. This is my first journalism gig, so I'm a little excited. And I was hoping my first article could be about PC's newest and might I add, sweetest bakery. So, what do you say?"

Alison lit up. "Oh! I'd _love_ for my little bakery to be featured in the paper! It's usually quiet around this time of day, so if you want, we can do the interview now."

"Okay, great!"

"Here, come behind the counter and you can sit here." Alison offered her a stool to sit on and pulled up one for herself.

"Thank you."

"So, what did you want to talk about? Ask away!"

"Well, let's start with the name. How did you come up with the name 'Alison's Heavenly Delights'?"

Alison grinned. "Well, it's sort of silly."

"Oh please tell me!" Marissa begged.

"Well my boyfriend sorta gave me the idea."

"So your boyfriend came up with the name?"

"No, I did, but let's just say that he was my um, inspiration for it. See, he's such a sweet guy, sort of like an angel. That's what I call him. My angel. And well, if it hadn't have been for Rafe, I probably wouldn't have started this bakery in the first place. He was the one who really encouraged me to take the risk and to follow my dream of having my own bakery and well…here it is!"

Marissa wrote notes frantically on her notepad. "Your angel, that's cute. I'm quoting you on that."

Alison smiled.

"So, what sparked your interest in creating all of these delicious…heavenly delights?" Marissa laughed.

"Well, ever since I was a kid, I've always been interested in cooking. The cook we had at home, Sally, she taught me everything I know. So I took what she taught me, then learned some things on my own. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I've always loved this kind of stuff. I'm a regular baking fool." Alison laughed. "I even entered a school bake-off in second grade."

"Did you win?"

"First place." Alison beamed.

"What do you think your bakery has to offer that no other bakery here in town does? In other words, what makes it so unique?"

"Well, that's kind of hard to explain. See, I'm so in love with Rafe, and being in love has made me so happy that well…I just want everyone to be as happy as I am. So everything that I make is made with so much love and happiness. I think that's what sets me apart. Does that make any kind of sense?" Alison laughed.

"I get it. So this boyfriend of yours, Rafe, he really sounds like some kind of guy."

"Well like I say, he's my angel."

Marissa smiled. "Well, just one more question."

"Okay."

"What's the secret to those blueberry muffins anyway?"

Alison laughed. "Nice try."

"Oh okay, but how about off the record? Just tell me, I can keep a secret."

Alison laughed again.

"I'm kidding of course!" Marissa stood up and shook Alison's hand. "Thank you very much for your time. I can't wait to get home and write this up!"

"Oh, you're welcome. I feel so honored that someone wants to write about this place. I really put my heart and soul into it."

"Well it's definitely worth writing about."

"Oh, Marissa, wait!"

"Yeah?"

Alison smiled. "Here, take a couple of muffins, no charge. It's the least I can do to thank you for um, ya know, plugging my bakery and all!"

"Oh, you're such a doll! Thank you! Well now I'm _really_ in the mood to write. The article should be in Wednesday's paper so look out for it."

"Alright, it was nice meeting you."

"Likewise. Bye."

Alison treated herself to one of her "fabulous" muffins and smiled. Then she picked up the phone, because suddenly, she really wanted to hear her angel's voice.

Rafe was writing away in his journal when he heard the phone ring. "Hello?"

"Hey, sweetheart."

Rafe smiled at the sound of Alison's voice on the line. "Hey, beautiful."

"Guess what! This girl from the paper just came by and interviewed me, she wants to do an article about my bakery!"

"Alison, that's wonderful! See, now everyone will know just how wonderful of a cook you are."

Alison laughed. "Yeah, I'm excited about it! So, when can you get your cute little angelic self over here? I miss you!"

Rafe laughed. "Yeah, it's been a long two hours since we last saw each other. I'll be over there in ten minutes."

"Sweet." Alison grinned. "I love you, Rafe Kovich."

"I love you, too."

Alison hung up the phone and waited for Rafe.

~*~*~*~

The bell on the door jingled and Alison looked up. "Oh, yay! You're here!" She jumped out of her seat and ran into Rafe's arms.

Rafe laughed. "I missed you too."

"I'm really glad you're here, Rafe. I just wanted you to know how happy I am about my bakery, and without your help, it wouldn't be this great."

"Oh I didn't do much. I mean, you are the cook after all. I just sit and watch. You look so cute in that apron you know."

Alison laughed. "What I mean, Rafe, is that you have always encouraged me to follow my heart, and I've never been more happier."

"Well good, you followed your heart and now your dream of owning a bakery is reality."

"That's not the only decision I've followed my heart on."

"Oh?"

"Yeah." Alison smiled at Rafe and leaned forward for a kiss.

~*~*~*~

"You ready for bed yet?" Rafe hollered from the bedroom.

"Just a minute!" Alison hollered back, her words a bit slurred because of the toothpaste in her mouth.

Finally, Alison emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing her cute lavender pajamas that Rafe loved so much. Alison gave Rafe a suspicious look when she saw him sitting in bed waiting for her with a grin on his face. "What? Do I have toothpaste on my mouth or something?"

"What? Oh, no. You look beautiful."

"Why are you smiling?"

"Well I'm just so happy to see you. I'm a little impatient. You know how I can't sleep without you."

Alison smiled. "Oh, okay." She walked over to his side of the bed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're so sweet."

Alison sat on her side of the bed. She took a sip of her water and set the glass back down on the nightstand. Then, she took her lip balm and rolled it across her lips. Next, Alison made sure there was a box of tissues nearby, just in case she needed them for some reason. Then, Alison took another sip of water.

Rafe couldn't help but smile at her. This nightly ritual of hers had become familiar to him. "Ready?" he asked.

Alison turned to him. "Mmm-hmm." Alison curled into Rafe's arms. She turned her head up so that Rafe could kiss her.

"Goodnight, love you."

"I love you…" Alison murmured as she closed her eyes and drifted off the sleep.

And just as Rafe had become familiar with Alison's bedtime rituals, he had also become very aware of her sleeping patterns. Within twenty minutes, just as Rafe had expected, Alison was fast asleep.

Now was his chance.

Stashed behind Rafe's pillow was a little piece of sting. He knew this was totally crazy, but he had seen it done on a television show once, and he couldn't think of any other way to find out. Rafe had already made a little loop in the string. All he had to do was to carefully slip it around Alison's finger and tighten it just slightly to get her ring size. Rafe held his breath as he did this, terrified that Alison would wake up. She shook her head once and Rafe panicked, but she didn't wake up. Rafe finally took the string off and breathed a sigh of relief. In the dim light, he somehow managed to tighten the knot in the string to the appropriate size. Rafe stashed it back under his pillow. Now, he could relax. All that he had to do now was to go to the jeweler's tomorrow morning and pick out a ring. Rafe fell asleep with a smile on his face.

 


	32. Chapter 32

originally posted 7-19-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

32

~*~*~*~

Rafe walked excitedly through the park, his mind on nothing else but that diamond ring that he was going to find and put on Alison's finger tonight. Then suddenly…

"Oh!" Lucy gasped as Rafe bumped into her.

"I'm so sorry…oh. Hi." Rafe realized it was Lucy.

"Cousin. Hmm, you sure are in a hurry. Where's the fire?"

Rafe laughed. "Well I'm just…"

"Oh come here and sit down!" Lucy cut him off. "It's an nice spring day. Sit down, relax, enjoy it! No need to rush."

Rafe joined his cousin at the picnic table.

"Serena! Don't swing your sister so high!" Lucy turned back to Rafe. "Sorry about that."

"Hey, how's Kevin's ankle?"

"Oh, much better, thank you for asking. And you…what's up with you?" Lucy gave her cousin a suspicious look. "Something's going on. I can see it in those sparkly hazel eyes of yours."

Rafe smiled big. Then, he felt a little tug at his shirt. He looked down and saw Christina grinning at him from ear to ear. "Hi, there."

Christina simply smiled. Then she ran back to the swings. Rafe couldn't help but smile.

"You know, you and Alison made quite an impression on Christina the other night. I'm going to have to call on you two to babysit again. Speaking of Alison, where is she?"

"Oh, she's at the bakery."

"And where are you off to, cousin?"

Rafe grinned. "Town. I uh…I have something very important that I need to do."

"Oh really?" Lucy's curiously piqued.

"Lucy, I'm uh…I'm going to ask Alison to marry me tonight."

"You're going to propose to Alison?! Oh my god! Cousin, that's wonderful!"

"All I need to do now is to pick out the ring."

"What are you twisting between your fingers?"

"Huh? Oh, this." Rafe held up the little piece of string.

"What's that?"

"Well see, I didn't know what Alison's ring size was, but I had to find out, right? So last night when she fell asleep, I slipped this thing on her finger and hopefully the jeweler will be able to tell me what size she wears."

Lucy grinned. "You know, Rafe, if you wanted to find out Alison's ring size, you could have just asked me and I would have found out for you."

"But then she would have been suspicious!"

"No she wouldn't. I would have made sure of that."

Rafe laughed. "You know, there is something that maybe you could help me out with."

"Anything! What can I do for you?"

"Well, I've never gone shopping for rings before. What kind of ring do you think Alison would like?"

"Oh, diamonds are a girl's best friend, Rafe. You can't go wrong as long as it's a diamond."

"So any ring I pick out will be fine?"

"What? No! You can't just pick out any ole ring!"

"But you just said…"

"Okay, you're coming with me!"

"Huh?"

Lucy hopped up out of her seat. "I'm going to help you pick out the perfect ring. Oh boy, this is going to be so much fun!"

"Really?" Rafe smiled.

"Girls, come on, we're going! This is going to be so much fun!" Then Lucy dragged Rafe and gathered the girls and they were off.

~*~*~*~

Rafe eyed the assortment of rings under the glass at the Wyndham's jewelry counter. "Oh gosh, they're so many," he said in disbelief.

"Aren't you glad I offered to help you out now?" Lucy smiled.

"Mom, Christina and I are going to go ride on the escalator!"

"What? No, Serena, I don't think so."

"Oh come on, Mom! What's the big deal?" Serena begged.

"Oh…okay but you come right back! And you be careful!" Lucy said.

Rafe laughed. "It's funny, the simple things that kids find enjoyment out of."

"I shouldn't have let her."

"Hi, can I help you?" the young woman behind the counter asked.

Rafe smiled. "Yes, I'm looking for an engagement ring!" he announced excitedly.

"Well you've come to the right place, cutie," she laughed. "Anything particular in mind?"

"He doesn't know a lot about rings," Lucy laughed.

"Oh, okay, well we can help you out there." The girl reached under the glass and picked up a tray of rings to show him. "These are some of our more popular styles."

Rafe picked up one of the rings and examined it up close. "This one is pretty." He turned to Lucy. "What do you think?"

"I think it's lovely, but, I don't know, seems like if it's popular, someone else could have one just like it."

"Hmm, yeah, she's right." Rafe put the ring back. "I'm looking for something, I don't know, a bit more unique. Something really special, because this girl is really special."

The young woman smiled. "Well in that case, what do you think of these?" She put on the counter another tray of rings. "Perhaps you'd like a gemstone along with that diamond? We have rubies and emeralds and, my personal favorite, sapphires."

Rafe took a look at the rings. They were all very beautiful. He could see any one of these on Alison's finger. And then, a diamond ring with two pink stones on the side caught his eye. "What about that one? The one with the pink stones?"

"Oh this one?" The woman picked up the ring and handed it to Rafe. "I take it your girlfriend's favorite color is pink?"

"Well she does love pink roses."

The woman laughed. "Do you know what those pink stones are?"

"No, what?"

"Rose quartz."

Rafe laughed. "That's really ironic."

"Oh, but that's not all. I bet you didn't now that the rose quartz is known as the 'Stone of Love'. It symbolizes love, romance, soul mates, fidelity. The ancient Greeks believed it to be a symbol of true and abiding love. And it's often used in…well, wedding ceremonies." The young woman laughed again.

Rafe gave her a look of surprise.

"Hey, when you work at the jewelry counter, you learn a thing or two."

"This one is perfect! This is just what I've been looking for."

"So you want to go with this one?"

"I've made up my mind!" Rafe said excitedly.

"Okay, what size are we looking at?"

Rafe gave his little awkward expression. "I'm not exactly sure, but I was hoping you could figure that out." Rafe handed her the little piece of string.

"My cousin tied a string around her finger when she was sleeping!" Lucy laughed.

"Oh, that's nothing," the woman said. "One time a man came in here and had made an indention of one of his girlfriend's rings in a piece of bread! Well, I'd say this looks to be about a size 5 but let me go check."

"Rafe! Did you pick a ring out yet?" Serena asked as she and Christina came back over to the counter. Rafe showed the girl the ring.

"Oh that's so pretty!"

"Let me!" Christina said as she took the ring and put it on her little finger. It was huge compared to her small size.

The woman came back. "Well guess what, it's your lucky day! We only have one of that ring in stock but it turns out, it's the size you need. Now how's that for irony? How about I box it for you?"

Rafe got the ring back from Christina and the woman put it in a ring box for him. Rafe took the box and looked at the ring sitting inside of it. He could almost see the look on Alison's face when she would see it.

 


	33. Chapter 33

originally posted 7-30-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

33

~*~*~*~

Alison smiled as she picked up the paper and read it aloud to Jack and Livvie.

"’‘You may have a hard time looking for angels in Port Charles, that is of course, unless you check out _Alison's Heavenly Delights_. Alison Barrington, owner of the most heavenly bakery in town, said the success to her bakery was all due to her "angelic" boyfriend, but I think that her culinary skills may have had something to do with it as well. Have you tasted the blueberry muffins? They are to die for, seriously, you'll feel like you're in heaven. Okay! Enough with the heaven jokes, but seriously, this really is unlike any bakery you've ever been to. Definitely worth it!’”

"Very cool," Jack said.

"Yeah, that's awesome!" Livvie added.

"I know, isn't it? I'm in the paper, I'm so excited! I'm going to have to frame it and put it on the wall or something." Alison laughed. "Oh, shoot, what time is it?"

Jack looked at his watch. "About 5:30."

"Oh! I gotta go!"

"Where are you off to?" Jack asked.

"Home. I gotta go get ready. Rafe's taking me out to dinner tonight."

"What's the occasion?" Livvie asked.

"He's just being sweet. Do you mind locking up, Livvie?"

"No, not at all. Go, go. Have fun."

"Thanks. Bye you two.

~*~*~*~

Rafe sat on the couch and pulled the ring box out of his pocket. He took a peek at the ring inside and imagined it on Alison's finger. Suddenly, he heard a sound and he quickly hid the ring back in his pocket.

"Hey, you're back," Rafe said as Alison walked into the house.

"Hey, sweetheart. Sorry I'm a little late." She walked over to Rafe and they kissed. "Let me just get changed and I'll be ready soon!"

"Alright." Rafe watched as she scurried off to the other room. This was perfect timing. It would probably take her a while to get ready, and that was all the time Rafe needed to prepare for how things would go tonight…

~*~*~*~

The hostess seated Rafe and Alison and the two smiled at each other, both remembering that this had been where they went on their first "date".

When the waiter arrived at their table, he gave Alison a pink rose, just as last time. Alison had got the feeling that something was up with Rafe, but then again, it was hard to tell with him because he was such a romantic guy anyway.

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you up to something?"

"Yes I'm up to something. We're celebrating, of course! I just remembered that when I first came back, I got the feeling that you wanted to go out, have a nice dinner, romantic evening, all of that. So, that's what we're doing."

"Oh, alright." Alison smiled at him. He was just too cute.

After dinner, Rafe settled the check and held out his hand. "Now let's go."

"Where are we going?" Alison asked excitedly.

"There's a lot of stars out tonight."

Alison knew exactly where they were going. She took his hand and they left…

~*~*~*~

The bridge was beautiful this time of night. The moonlight reflected on the water and the stars went on in an endless array in the sky.

"Can you feel it?" Rafe whispered into her ear as he stood behind her and held her in his arms.

"Hmm?"

"Our love. It's like I can just feel it in the air."

Alison smiled at him. "Almost as if I could reach out and touch it." The two shared a tender kiss. "You know what else I feel?"

"What?"

"I feel all tingly."'

"Tingly?"

Alison laughed. "When you put your arms around me like this." Alison reached for Rafe's hands. "I was just remembering how it felt when you put your hands over mine and made those dancing lights. I can feel that same warm, tickling sensation again. The funny thing is, I just didn't know what it was before."

"What is it?"

"What it feels like to be in love."

They kissed again.

"I have something for you," Rafe whispered.

"You do?"

Rafe reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I wrote a poem for you."

"Aww, that's so sweet."

"Um, I want you to read it though. Read it aloud."

"You want me to read it?"

"Yeah, you know how nervous I get."

Alison smiled and touched his face. "I love you."

She took the paper and began to read it…

" _'For years I was lost, searching for my destiny,  
And then one day I found you, and my world was never the same. _  
_Until that moment, I never knew what love felt like,_  
 _And until that moment, I had never really felt alive,_  
 _But now I know that you are my destiny,_  
 _And now I know that you are my soul mate,_  
 _My angel, my love, my world, my everything,_  
 _Marry me, Alis-'"_

Alison's voiced trailed off. She felt her heart skip a beat. "Rafe…"

Alison looked at Rafe. He smiled at her. He took her hands and got down on one knee. He held up the ring box and opened it up, revealing the ring to her. "Marry me, Alison. Will you marry me?"

Alison felt tears sting her eyes. She nodded.

"Yes?"

"Yes," Alison said softly. "Of course I'll marry you." She held her finger out and Rafe slid the ring on.

Rafe stood up and cradled Alison's face in his hands. He kissed her tenderly.

 


	34. Chapter 34

originally posted 8-11-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

34

~*~*~*~

Rafe could hear some music playing as he walked into the bedroom. He stood in the doorway and watched Alison. She made his heart skip a beat. Alison was wearing something white and silky, and in Rafe's opinion, downright sexy. She flashed Rafe a smile as she continued to light every candle in the room until it was glowing with soft light.

"I thought I'd light some candles. You know…set a romantic mood."

Rafe kept his eyes on her.

"What?" Alison asked with a grin.

"Beautiful. You're so beautiful."

Alison blushed. There was that sexy grin again. He could always make her toes curl with that smile of his. "You like, huh?" Alison flashed Rafe a sexy smile that made Rafe literally weak. She took a hold of Rafe's shirt and pulled him closer to her. Then they slowed eased down to the bed.

Rafe kissed her lips, her face, her neck. When his lips reached her shoulders, Alison sighed and found the buttons on his shirt. She slid the shirt off of him and her hands went up the length of his strong arms, then to his back where she dug her fingernails into the flesh. Alison did all this while Rafe continued to kiss every inch of her body.

Somehow, their clothes had ended up in a pile on the floor without either of them really realizing it. Rafe made a trail of kisses from her lips to her navel. Alison ran her fingers threw his hair, messing it up and then moving her fingers to his neck to feel those little tiny hairs.

"Rafe…" Alison said in a raspy voice. Rafe responded by bringing his lips back to hers, and their kissing grew intense as they rolled over the sheets together…

~*~*~*~

Rafe had drifted off to sleep. After a while though, he slowly opened his eyes. His arms were around Alison, whose back was to him. He could see that she was admiring her engagement ring.

"It looks even more beautiful on you," Rafe said softly.

Alison turned around and smiled at him. "I love it. I've never seen an engagement ring this beautiful."

"Well I wanted to get you a really special ring. You're special."

"Aww," Alison beamed. "This ring made you think of me?"

"Mmm-hmm. The pink stones made me think of how you like…"

"Pink roses."

Rafe smiled. "Yeah."

Alison couldn't resist kissing him. Rafe was just so sweet. Alison then nuzzled into his neck and rested in his strong yet protective arms. It was where she felt the safest. "You know, Rafe, we're really sorta already married."

"But now it'll be official."

"Mmm-hmm."

"We'll have a big wedding, bigger than Kevin and Lucy's!"

Alison laughed.

"And then I'll get to meet your parents."

Alison looked at Rafe and nodded her head. "Mmm-hmm," she said softly.

But Rafe could see something in her eyes, almost as if he had said the wrong thing and it was the wrong time to bring up the subject. "Alison…did I say something…did I bring up a bad subject?"

"Rafe, it's nothing, okay? It's just…I wouldn't get your hopes up about meeting my parents at the wedding."

"What do you mean? They'd have to be there."

"Yeah, and they would try. But…well I'm sure something would come up and they wouldn't be able to make it."

"You mean they would miss their own daughter's wedding? But…but they can't do that. They would have to show up!"

"Rafe, it's just the way they are. It's been that way my whole life. And they really would try to make it to the wedding, but just don't count on them showing up. They were never good at keeping up appearances. Oh, but my Nana will be there, you can count on that. Nana's ALWAYS up for a big celebration!"

Rafe could tell Alison was trying to change the subject, but he just couldn't let it go. Alison was the most special woman he had ever met, and how anyone in the world could bear to be separated from her for even a second was beyond him! "How could they do that to you, Alison?"

"Hey, don't worry about this. Look, it doesn't bother me, okay? Because right now, I have all of the love that I need, right here with you."

"Alison, look, if you don't want to talk about it, I understand. The last thing I want to do is to make you sad on a night that you should be nothing but happy. I was just curious. You know can talk to me about anything."

"The truth is, Rafe…my parents didn't plan on having me. I was an accident."

"No. You're nothing but a miracle. Don't you ever forget that." Rafe kissed her on the cheek.

Alison managed a smile.

"I got you smiling."

"You see, Rafe, my parents didn't want a child. They wanted to travel. They didn't want the responsibility that went along with being a parent. So that's really why I'm closer to my grandmother. My parents were always leaving me with her to go off somewhere. But even then, Nana was always so busy too and didn't always have time for me, or when she did, she was always trying to control something. I was just so lonely all of the time."

"Was it really that bad?"

"Oh, it was that bad. Like this one summer, my parents decided that they were going to go on a Mediterranean cruise and a trip around Europe. They planned to be gone the whole summer and of course, they waited until the last minute to tell me that they were even going. And Nana, she was there some of the time but she was really busy with her charity guild and all. They just, you know, left me at home. I guess they thought I would be bothering them or something."

"You mean they left you at home all by yourself?"

"No, not exactly, I mean, there was the grouchy maid Agnes and the sixteen other staff members I didn’t get along with. Well, except for Sally, of course. She was the only one I liked."

"I can't believe they would do that."

"That was like, the worse summer of my life. My family was gone, I had no friends. Well, I did have friends, but they were all away on vacation or had moved away. I mostly just hung out in the kitchen with Sally.”

"Alison…I'm sorry I brought the subject up. I shouldn't have. We just got engaged and made the most incredible love ever…the last thing I should be doing is making you sad."

"No, oh no. You didn't make me sad."

"I didn't?"

"No. You could never make me sad. You know, I think it was actually good for me to talk about it. I never told anyone about that, but I think it really helped. You really helped me."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You're good at that, you know. Helping people and stuff." Alison caught Rafe smiling. "What?" she laughed. She could tell something was on his mind.

"I was just thinking about what you said, just now, about how I'm good at helping people. And the truth is, I've been thinking about something lately. But I haven't told you yet."

Alison's curiosity piqued. "What? Tell me."

"Well you know, I spent my whole life training to fight evil. And I never expected that I would get the chance to just live and have a normal life like everyone else. Now I have the chance to do that, and I think what I'd really like to do is to help people, kind of like, you know, maybe a reverend of a church or something."

Alison's eyes lit up and she sat up and leaned against him. "Oh my gosh!"

"It's kinda of crazy, isn't it? It was just something I was thinking…"

"No, it's not crazy!"

"Really?"

"Oh, I can see it now. You can be Reverend Kovich!"

Rafe laughed. "Reverend Kovich, eh?"

"Yes. Oh, Rafe, you'd be wonderful at that."

"It's something that I think I would really like to do, and a way to help people. And for some crazy reason, I feel like I have this very strong connection to Heaven, but I don't know why or what it is."

Alison laughed. "I do love you, Rafe Kovich."

"I'm really tired. Let's go to sleep."

"Goodnight." Alison kissed Rafe.

"Goodnight."

Alison turned back around and closed her eyes. Rafe put his arms back around her. "Rafe."

"Mmm-hmm?" he mumbled drowsily.

"That really was the most incredible love we've ever made."

Rafe couldn't help but laugh with her, and then they fell asleep.

 


	35. Chapter 35

originally posted 8-24-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

35

~*~*~*~

The moment Alison walked into the Recovery Room, Livvie knew something was up. Alison had called her that morning and said that she HAD to talk to her, so they agreed upon breakfast. But when Alison walked in, she looked to be in her own little world and Livvie had to practically yell to get her attention.

Alison came rushing over. "Oh, there you are!"

Livvie laughed. "What's up with you, Ali?"

"Livvie! I just couldn't tell you over the phone!" Alison didn't say anything, but held out her hand and showed Livvie the ring.

"Oh that's a beautiful ring." And then, it hit Livvie. "Oh my god! Rafe…did he?"

"He proposed to me, Livvie!"

"Details!" Livvie begged.

"Oh, Livvie, he was so sweet and cute. He took me out to dinner last night. It was the same place we had our first date."

"Aww."

"And then later, we went to that bridge in the park, it's sort of a special place for us…and then he wrote this poem for me and in the poem, the last line was 'Marry me, Alison' and then he got down on his knee and gave me the ring and oh, Livvie, if you could have just seen the way he looked at me last night. I'm getting married!"

"Oh, sweetie, I'm so happy for you!"

"I hope you're up for some shopping this weekend!"

"Definitely! I'm always up for some shopping! Aww, you're going to look for a wedding dress!"

"Yeah, and also…maybe you could help me decide on the bridesmaids' gowns since you're going to be wearing one of them. I hope you'll be my maid-of-honor."

"Oh you know I will!" Livvie got up and gave her best friend of hug. "I'm so happy for you, Ali!"

~*~*~*~

Alison led Rafe up the sidewalk to the Barrington Mansion. They stopped at the door. Alison turned to Rafe and brushed away some imaginary lint on his shirt. "Stop being so nervous!"

"I'm not nervous," Rafe said.

"Oh, I think you are."

"Well it's just that I've only met your grandmother on a couple of occasions and now she's going to find out that we're getting married…I just want to make a good impression."

"Well you don't have to work so hard to do that. Trust me." Alison winked and rang the doorbell.

Geoffrey, the Barrington butler, opened the door.

"Hi, Geoffrey," Alison said with a smile.

"Miss Alison, how wonderful to see you," Geoffrey greeted her friendly. "Mr. Kovich."

"Hello," Rafe said.

"So where's Nana?"

"Your grandmother is waiting for you and Mr. Kovich in the sitting room. I'll take you to her."

Geoffrey led them down a hallway and Rafe admired the enormous winding staircase and all of the various paintings and portraits on the wall. Alison had once brought him here but that was a while back and he had never paid much attention to the mansion until now. He tried to think of what it was like for Alison to live here as a little girl. The place was so vast that it seemed easy to get lost in. It actually seemed…well, pretty lonely.

"Your granddaughter and Mr. Kovich," Geoffrey announced to Amanda.

Amanda looked up from what she was reading and smiled. "Geoffrey, why don't you go check and see if dinner is almost ready."

"Will there be anything else, Mrs. Barrington?"

"No, that will be all." Amanda stood up to greet Alison. "Hello, dear."

"Hi, Nana," Alison said all bubbly and greeted her grandmother with a kiss on the cheek.

Amanda turned to Rafe. "And it's good to see you again, Ralph."

Alison cleared her throat and laughed softly. "Um, Nana, it's Rafe."

"Oh, is it? Oh, I'm sorry…Rafe."

"It's quite all right, it's good to see you too, Mrs. Barrington," Rafe said, all nervous.

"Mrs. Barrington, dinner is served," Geoffrey said.

"Oh, splendid. Well, why don't we take this into the dining room, shall we?"

~*~*~*~

Over dinner, Amanda was being her usual self and asking Rafe many personal questions…after all, she had to make sure he was suitable enough for Alison to date, well, not as if Alison would listen anyway.

"So, Rafe, what is it that you do for a living?"

The question had caught Rafe by surprise. He didn't think "vampire slayer" would be the right response; certainly not the one Amanda Barrington was looking for! "Well…I…"

"Rafe likes to help people," Alison quickly spoke up. Rafe gave her a look of relief.

"Help people? How?" Amanda pried.

"Oh, well, tell her, Rafe. Tell her about um, what you told me the other night."

"Well, Mrs. Barrington, I've been thinking about the ministry."

"The ministry?" Amanda's eyes lit up. "Well, that's very admirable. I wasn't aware that my granddaughter was into the religious type now. You see, in the past she's dated hooligans and ruffians. Meeting these awful boys at those wild parties at all hours of the night. I hope you don't indulge in that kind of behavior."

"Oh, no, ma'am, I don't."

"Nana, you know that I don't go to parties like that anymore. And Jamal is a good friend of mine. He's not a…"

"I'm sorry, dear, but you know I'm only looking out for you."

Alison decided to change the subject. "Nana, there's a reason why I thought we should all have dinner together tonight. I have some news that I wanted to share with you."

"Oh? What news would that be, dear?"

Alison smiled at Rafe across the table. "Well, Nana, Rafe and I…well we're getting married."

"Married?" Amanda was a little surprised. "Oh dear, are you pregnant?"

"I'm not pregnant, Nana."

"Well it's a little soon to be planning a wedding, don't you think?"

"Nana, we really love each other. Look at my engagement ring."

"Quite an interesting engagement ring."

"Well I wanted to give her something as unique and special as she is," Rafe admitted.

Amanda smiled. She never cared much for the boys her granddaughter dated, but something about that comment just really made her like Rafe. "Yes, my granddaughter is very special." Amanda looked at Alison…and it was something in her eyes. She was positively beaming with happiness, and Amanda had never seen her like this.

"Nana, I'm very happy."

"Well that's the most important thing, dear. And Rafe, I expect you'll continue to keep her happy. I don't want to ever see her hurt."

"I would never do anything to hurt her. Her happiness means everything to me."

Amanda's serious expression turned into a warm smile. "Well, this is wonderful news and I think this calls for a celebration!"

Alison and Rafe smiled at each other.

"Geoffrey! Geoffrey!" Amanda called out.

Geoffrey rushed into the dining room. "Yes, Mrs. Barrington?"

"Run down to the wine cellar and get my favorite. My granddaughter is getting married so we're celebrating."

Geoffrey smiled. "That's wonderful news. Congratuations. I'll be back shortly with the wine."

Amanda turned to Alison. "Have you set a date yet?"

Alison smiled at Rafe. "Well, we haven't set anything yet but we were thinking maybe late June…"

"Oh, lovely! Well I'll just have to give Reverend John at All Souls a call and we'll have the ceremony there. And for the reception, I can make the arrangements for it at the country club…"

"Oh, actually, Nana, Rafe and I had other plans."

"Oh no, you're not eloping are you? I would think you would prefer a church wedding, Rafe. You have to get married in a church."

"Oh, we are, Nana. You know that little church behind the woods?"

"What? Oh no, I don't think so. That church is too small, not suitable for a wedding…"

"But, Nana, it's a really special place for us. It's not that small. And we were actually thinking of having the reception where Kevin and Lucy had their wedding…it's sort of special to us too."

Amanda wasn't so sure about all of this. She had always been the one to make the plans and be in control, but ever since Alison grew older, that had become next to impossible to do. Alison was just as determined as she was when it came to doing what she wanted.

"Nana, I know you're just trying to help, but this is what I want. I can make my own decisions now."

Amanda smiled. Alison was right, and she had to let her grow up sometime. "Alright, dear. I suppose you're right. I should let you live your life the way you choose to."

"But that doesn't mean that I don't want your help. I would love for you to help me actually. Maybe you could, I don't know, come with Livvie and me and help me look for a dress this weekend?"

"I think I would enjoy that."

"The wine," Geoffrey announced. He poured them all a glass.

Amanda held up her glass. "Here's to the both of you. May you have a wonderful life together and all of the happiness you deserve. And welcome to the family, Rafe."

Then, they all clicked their glasses together and celebrated.

 


	36. Chapter 36

originally posted 9-1-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

36

~*~*~*~

Going back to the old apartment was…weird. Alison hadn't been back since she moved out, and even though she and Jamal were still good friends, going back brought back a lot of memories. It was hard to believe how much could change in just a few short months.

Alison could hear some music playing pretty loudly. She knocked hard on the door so Jamal would hear her. She heard the music turn off and footsteps moving to the door.

"Ali?" Jamal seemed surprised to see her, like he was almost expecting someone else.

Alison smiled. "Hey, Jamal. Can I uh, come in?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah, sure, come in. It's good to see you. What brings you by?"

"Oh my god!" Alison exclaimed as she looked around the apartment. She hardly recognized it under the mess. Clothes were randomly scattered, day-old pizza boxes littered the coffee table, numerous dishes were piled in the sink, and above all else, Alison's biggest pet peeve…a dripping wet glass of water was on the table with no coaster! "What on earth happened?"

"What?"

Alison turned to Jamal with a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"Jamal…this place is a mess!"

Jamal laughed. "Oh that, yeah…I uh, I haven't had a chance to clean it up."

"You've been lazy? That's why this place is a mess?"

"Well, Ali, you're not around to pick up after me anymore."

Alison laughed. "Jamal, do you want me to call one of Nana's maids?"

Jamal laughed. "Nah, nah, I'll get around to cleaning it up…seriously. I've just been sorta occupied lately."

"Oh, well all right then."

"So, is this just a friendly visit or did you come by to tell me something?"

"Well, both actually. I wanted to come see you and I would have called first but I was in the neighborhood and I thought I would just drop by. You have a few minutes I hope."

"Yeah, sure. What's going on?" Jamal gestured towards the couch and they sat down.

"Well, I have some news and well…I wanted to tell you first before you heard it from somewhere else."

"Good news or bad news?"

"Oh, good news," Alison quickly said. She smiled and held out her hand to show Jamal her ring. "Rafe and I…we're engaged." Alison wasn't sure how Jamal would take the news, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that smile his.

"Ali, that's great. Congratulations." Jamal then gave Alison a hug.

"Thanks, Jamal. I uh, I wasn't sure how you…"

"I'm happy for you, and I want you to be happy."

Alison smiled.

"So when's the wedding?"

"We haven't set a date, but we were thinking the end of June."

"That's cool. A June wedding, huh?"

"Yeah. Look um, Jamal, you're one of my best friends, and I would really love it if you could come. But I mean, I'll understand if you don't, if that's going to be too weird for you…"

"I would love to come. In fact, you better invite me, girl!"

Alison laughed. "Well good, because a wedding without all of my friends present just wouldn't feel right."

"Now I'd be able to bring a guest to the wedding, right?"

The question confused Alison for a second. "Well, yeah sure you could…" Then it hit her. "Jamal, are you seeing someone?"

Jamal didn't answer but Alison could tell from the way he was holding back his laughter that he was.

"Oh my god, you are!" Alison said excitedly. "Who is she?"

"It's nothing too serious, we've just been dating for a few weeks, that's all."

"How did you meet?"

"Outside your shop. She uh, she was walking out, I was walking in, next thing I know, I made her drop everything. She was mad too because she really loves your muffins and I made her waste two of them."

"Do I know her? Who is she?"

"Actually, yeah you do know her. She's the girl who wrote about you in the Port Charles Herald. Marissa."

Alison's jaw dropped. "You're dating Marissa? Oh my god, Jamal!" Alison smiled. "That's great."

The phone rang.

"That's actually probably her, she was supposed to come over in a little while." Jamal picked up the phone and started talking. "Hey, where are you…sure, I can pick you up…yes, on the bike…"

Alison tried not to eavesdrop but it was impossible considering the fact that she was sitting right there on the couch. And then, she thought of how interesting this was. Jamal wasn't her destiny, Rafe was. And if it hadn't have been for Rafe, she would have never opened up her bakery, and if she had not had a bakery, she would have never met Marissa. And therefore, Marissa and Jamal would not have met. It was all very interesting. Ever since she learned that there was a plan for everything and that everyone had a soul mate, it made Alison think of things in a whole new light.

"So, was that her?" Alison asked when Jamal hung up.

"Yeah, we were going to go out to a movie but she's having car trouble so looks like I'm going to pick her up. I actually should get going."

"Yeah, so should I. I'm going shopping for wedding dresses with Livvie and Nana…picture that!"

Jamal laughed. "Yeah, I can see your granny criticizing every dress you pick out because it's too revealing or whatever."

"Yeah, and she'll probably want me to wear something old-timey!"

"Alison, congratulations again, I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you. And hey, I'm happy for you too. I think you and Marissa look…cute."

"Cute?" Jamal felt insulted.

"Oh you know what I mean!" Jamal and Alison headed out the door.

"Not really, Ali. I don't do cute."

"Oh whatever, Jamal."

~*~*~*~

When Alison came home, she was surprised because she swore she smelled something cooking in the kitchen.

"Rafe?" she called out.

"Oh good, you're back!" Rafe walked out of the kitchen and over to Alison to give her a kiss. "So, how was the gown shopping and from the looks of your face, I'm thinking not so good…"

"I didn't find anything. I mean, I found a lot of dresses, tons of them. But I didn't find one that I really liked."

"Well you still have plenty of time. And you don't want to rush buying a dress anyway."

"Yeah, that's true. Something smells good. Are you cooking, Rafe Kovich?"

Rafe laughed. "I'm attempting to cook. Come here." Rafe took Alison's hand and walked her to the kitchen. "I'm trying to cook this spaghetti but I'm not sure…do these noodles look cooked enough to you?" Rafe spooned some of them out of the pot.

"Oh yeah, that looks about right."

"Oh good!" Rafe said excitedly.

"So you're cooking dinner tonight?" Alison smiled and wrapped her arms around Rafe, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Well I figured after you got back, you'd be tired and hungry so I thought I'd give it a go. I just hope it's edible."

"Aww! You're so sweet!" Alison gave Rafe a kiss on the cheek. "Well let me go change and then I'll come back and we'll have dinner together."

"Sure, if I don't burn down the kitchen first, that is."

Alison laughed. As she walked out of the room, she stopped to look back at Rafe. He appeared to be struggling with getting the noodles out. "Try the colander, sweetheart."

"The what?"

"The bowl with holes in it."

"Oh! Oh yeah. Gotcha," Rafe snapped his fingers and pointed to Alison.

Alison smiled and imagined Rafe twenty years from now still having trouble with the spaghetti noodles and remembering what a colander was.

~*~*~*~

"Rafe! Rafe! Open the door!"

Rafe ran to the front door and opened it. He had to laugh when he saw Alison and Livvie struggle as they held a pile of magazines.

"Thanks so much! These are so heavy!"

"What is all this?"

"Just drop them on the floor!" Alison said to Livvie and the girls literally dropped the pile of magazines in the middle of the room.

"God, how many magazines do you have?"

"A lot!" Alison said. "Lucy managed to get her hands on a ton of bridal magazines for me."

"We just didn't realize Lucy had this many!" Livvie laughed.

"Hey, let's get these in a neat pile or something," Alison said. She and Livvie got on their knees and gathered the magazines.

Rafe walked over to them and sat down in the chair. He grabbed a magazine off the floor and browsed through it. "Bridal magazines, huh? So I take it that since you couldn't find anything in the stores, you're going to look here now?"

"Yep. Or at least get some kind of idea or something."

"Yeah, and hopefully find better bridesmaids dresses. The ones we saw at the stores were atrocious!" Livvie laughed.

"Oh yeah, like that aqua one with the bow in the back!"

"Yeah that was so ugly!"

"Well I don't know anything about dresses or bows in the back so I don't think I can help. I have to go anyway. Happy dress hunting." Rafe leaned down and gave Alison a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, Livvie."

"Bye, Rafe."

"Bye, sweetheart!" Alison called out as Rafe walked out the door.

"Where's Rafe off to?"

"Oh, he's off to go see Reverend Lovejoy. We want him to perform the ceremony."

"Cool. He's been spending a lot of time at the church hasn't he?"

"Yeah, when Reverend Lovejoy found out that Rafe was interested in the ministry, he sort of took him under his wing. They've been bonding lately," Alison laughed.

"Well that's good that Rafe's found something that he wants to do."

"Yeah. Oh! Livvie, _look_ at this dress!" Alison showed Livvie a page out of the magazine she was flipping through.

"Oh my god, that's gorgeous!"

"Sure is!"

"Why don't you start like a pile or something? Like put all of the dresses you really like over here, and ones that you're not sure about here, you know?"

"Oh, that's a good idea." Alison tore the page out and set it aside.

"Alison, here are some adorable flower girl dresses."

"Ooo let me see!" Alison took the magazine. "Aww, these are cute! I especially like this one."

"Yeah, me too."

"Christina would look so cute in this one! I'm going to set this aside as well."

"Okay, so let's see, you have Christina as the flower girl, Eve as a bridesmaid, me as the maid of honor, hmm, does Rafe have a best man?"

"Rafe doesn't even have a tux yet!" Alison laughed.

"You know, it would be cute if Danny was older and he could be your ring bearer, but I guess you don't have to really have one."

"Aww, that would be cute."

The phone rang.

"Oh, I gotta get that! I hope it's Eve because I told her to call if she got off of work early so she could help us look through dresses." Alison picked up the phone. "Hello?"

Livvie looked up from the bridal magazine and watched Alison. She didn't think it was Eve on the phone because Alison looked a little surprised.

"Daddy?" Alison said.

 


	37. Chapter 37

originally  9-2-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

37

~*~*~*~

When Rafe came home, Alison ran into his arms excitedly. "Rafe!"

Rafe laughed, loving homecomings like this. "What's got you so excited, angel?"

"Rafe, my parents called me!"

"What?"

"They called and…and they're going to come to the wedding!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Alison took Rafe's hand and led him over to the couch.

"Well what did they say when they called?"

"Okay, my dad called me a little after you left. I was surprised that he called, I mean, he rarely just up and calls me out of the blue. But Nana had told him about our engagement and he said that he wants to be there and…well he wants to give me away."

Rafe looked at Alison, who was positively beaming with happiness. He hated to ask but he felt that he should. "Alison, I don't want to put a damper on the moment but…"

"But what?"

"Alison, I remember what you told me about your parents. You said they were always letting you down. I just don't want to see you get hurt if your parents can't make it to the wedding. That is what you told me, remember? You said not to count on them being there."

"I know what I said, Rafe, but…I think they really mean it this time."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I do. And believe me, I was skeptical at first, but Daddy sounded so excited over the phone. He called me his little girl; he hasn't called me that since I was seven! And he said that he wants you to call him. I think he wants to have a chat with you to, you know, learn about the guy his daughter is going to marry!"

Rafe laughed.

"Anyway, I told Daddy all about you and I talked to my mom too. She's dying to meet this man I'm so crazy about. I talked to them for like fifteen minutes."

"Alison, that's wonderful!" Rafe gave Alison a hug.

"I'm so happy, Rafe. I think my parents are really trying to make up for all of those years that they weren't there for me. It's so funny because I've always had this dream of you know, the day I would get married and my father would be there to walk me down the aisle and give me away, but I never thought that would be a reality until now."

"Well I have to say, I think it's about time your parents came to see their daughter. I can't wait to see the expression on their faces when they see how beautiful and amazing you've turned out to be."

Alison smiled at Rafe and wrapped her arms around him. They kissed.

~*~*~*~

Rafe never realized that so much went into planning a wedding. Well, sure, he had planned Lucy and Kevin's wedding, but that was different. He had angel powers and that seemed to make everything a bit easier. But this was his wedding, and Rafe was amazed at how much there was to do. It wasn't just setting a date and getting the clothes and someone to perform the ceremony. It was much more. There was a rehearsal dinner to plan and a reception to plan. The flowers and invitations had to be selected. There was the caterer and the photographer. And of course, there was the honeymoon. That was the second most important thing next to the wedding itself. It was enough to make Rafe's head spin. He had never even imagined getting married until he met Alison. Lucky for him that Alison seemed to be able to keep track of what they needed to do.

"Okay, which do you like better, these invitations or these? Because I kind of like the ones with the flowers on it but then the ones with the bells are nice too but I don't know if that's kind of dorky because well, don't they all have bells on them? I want it to be unique! But then these, I don't like the print, I want it to be something fancier, but not so fancy as to where you can't read it. Rafe?"

"Huh?"

"I asked which ones you liked best. Are you even paying attention?" Alison laughed.

"I like them all. Really. I don't really notice a difference."

"Oh come on, just pick your favorite!"

"Um, okay, what about those?" Rafe pointed to one that he thought looked pretty nice.

Alison made a sour face. "Those suck," she said, flat out.

Rafe laughed. "Okay, then why don't you pick the one you want?"

"I think I like these the best." Alison pointed to her favorite one.

"Those look fine with me. Let's go with those."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, really. I want this to be you know, the wedding you dreamed of having when you were a little girl. You pick out the flowers and the invitations and whatever else you want."

"Well look, it's your wedding too, so if I pick out something you hate, just say something and I'll pick something else. Deal?"

"Okay, deal."

"Now, you need to go."

"What?" Rafe was surprised. "Go where?" He didn't have any plans for today.

"Lucy's coming over and she's going to go help you find a tuxedo."

"Oh, um, okay."

Alison laughed. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I told Lucy that you hadn't even got something yet and well, you know how Lucy is. She loves to shop and said for me to tell you that she was going to take you out today. You want to go right?"

"Well I suppose I can handle a few hours away from you, not that I want to or anything though."

"Well how about this? Why don't you call Lucy and you two can go out and all. Then when you come back, we'll have dinner and then afterwards, we can have a little nakedness."

Rafe laughed at how Alison just came out and said that.

"Sound good?" Alison said with a straight face.

"Sounds better than just good." Rafe stood up and gave Alison a quick kiss before leaving to go call his cousin.

~*~*~*~

Lucy was ecstatic about Rafe and Alison's upcoming wedding and had taken it upon herself to volunteer to help out any way she could. She was thrilled to help her cousin pick out a tux.

Lucy made Rafe try on the ones she thought would look best on him, and of course, Rafe couldn't say no to Lucy, even if they were ones he wasn't too fond of. But eventually, Rafe found one that he really liked and Lucy was in agreement.

"Okay, that is the one! That's the one!" she said excitedly. "Cousin, you really look handsome in that one. Well, you always look handsome actually but, Alison is going to love it!"

"Thanks for helping me pick one out, Lucy."

"You're welcome, cuz."

"This really does look good." Rafe admired himself in the mirror. "Okay, yeah, I'm definitely going to go with this one." Rafe continued to look at himself, but he got real quiet.

Lucy could tell that something was going on in that mind of his. "Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"Well we've established that the tux is great but…something isn't right. What is it?"

"You're really good at reading people, aren't you?"

"Well yeah, but you've always known that about me."

Rafe sat down beside Lucy. "Well, you're right, something is on my mind that's kind of been bothering me."

"Nothing serious, is it?"

"No, it's nothing really serious. It's just, I have absolutely no clue who could be my best man."

"Oh, I see," Lucy said.

"And see, Alison doesn't have to worry about any of that. Livvie and Eve are going to be her bridesmaids and her father is going to give her away, but…"

"You're not really close enough to anyone to ask to be your best man?"

"Exactly."

Now of course, thought Rafe, if he could have someone from Heaven come down for the ceremony, he wouldn't have this problem of who should be the best man, because he would already know.

"You know, why don't you ask Doc? He would do it!"

"Well see, I actually did think about asking Kevin, but then I wasn't really sure how he would feel about it, you know? Because well, to be honest, we really don't know each other all that well."

Lucy's face lit up, as it often did whenever she had an idea. "I know who could be your best man!"

"Who?"

"Me!" Lucy said enthusiastically.

Rafe laughed. "You?"

"Well, yeah me! Think about it, Rafe. What is a best man anyway? A best man is always someone close to the groom, usually a family member. And hey, I'm family!"

"But, Lucy, you're not a man. It's sort of tradition that…"

"Oh pooh on tradition! We can make our own traditions! I could be your best cousin!"

Rafe smiled at Lucy. It was odd, yes, but for some reason, it felt right. "You really want to do this?"

"I'd love to stand up there with you. I love you, cuz. And after all you've done for me, I'd really like to be there for you as well."

Rafe smiled. "I love you too, Lucy. Alright then, best cousin."

"So you mean it? You really want me to stand up there with you?"

"I'd be honored if you did."

"Oh, yay!" Lucy cheered. "Now, let's buy this tux and head out because I've got a lot of planning to do!"

 


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the Recovery Room scene seems kind of familiar and you're wondering where you heard it before, well I got some ideas from a GH episode w/ Luke and Lucky ;-) FYI: Just in case you have forgotten, Eve is alive in my fanfic and Livvie is NICE LOL.

originally posted 9-22-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

38

~*~*~*~

_The Bridal Shower…_

Livvie walked around the living room, making sure everything was in place. She and Serena had spent all morning setting up for Alison's bridal shower with white and pink decorations, the colors of the wedding. The decorations consisted of balloons, streamers, and a vase of flowers. Off to the corner of the room was the refreshment table covered in a white tablecloth. Alison selected to have small muffins, cookies, pretzels, wine (and punch), candy mints, and Alison's personal favorite, angel food cake. Another table for the gifts was by the window.

Livvie looked up when she heard someone walk into the room. "What are you still doing here?" she demanded, somewhat hostile.

Rafe looked around at the decorations. "It looks really nice in here."

"Go away! You're not supposed to be here!"

"Okay, okay, I'm leaving now!" Rafe laughed and headed out the door. Rafe was told that he could not come to the shower; it was for females only. So Lucy planned something for Rafe to do while he was gone.

Shortly after Rafe left, Alison and Lucy came back from picking up a few things for the shower.

"Oh it looks so nice in here!" Alison beamed.

"Oh good, I'm glad you approve!" Livvie said.

"Where's Rafe?" Alison asked.

"Oh don't worry, Rafe is taken care of," Lucy laughed.

"I'm ready to party!" Christina said excitedly as she ran into the living room holding several balloons.

Everyone laughed.

Alison changed into a flowery dress that she had planned on wearing to the shower, and soon after that, the other guests began to arrive.

Livvie greeted everyone at the door, instructing them where to put their gifts and telling them to help themselves with the refreshments on the table. The theme of the shower was "romance," and everyone had thus been instructed to bring some sort of romantic gift for the bride.

Finally, the shower was ready to begin.

Livvie stood up in front and welcomed everyone to the shower.

"Alison told me not to plan any stupid and corny bridal shower games.” Everyone laughed. "But I had to plan something to do so…" Livvie got out a set of index cards and pens and handed them to Lucy to pass them around. "Okay, I want everyone to take an index card, and on the card, I want you to write some kind of advice to Alison or words of wisdom or inspiration, you know, whatever kind of advice you would give to a bride-to-be. But don't put your name on it or anything. Alison will read these aloud and try to guess who wrote it."

Alison shot Livvie a look. "You're going to make me guess? Livvie!"

“Oh come, Ali, it'll be fun!" Livvie laughed. Everyone played along, taking the cards and writing some words of wisdom to the bride-to-be. When everyone was finished, they passed them all to Livvie. She shuffled them up and handed them to Alison.

"Okay," Alison said as she looked at the first one. " _'Cherish the love you had yesterday; that you still have today, and look forward to cherishing the love you shall have tomorrow.'_ " Alison looked around the room. "Hmm, I don't know who wrote this one!" she laughed. Then, she saw Karen smile. "Karen's smiling, so I'm going to say her!"

Karen laughed. "Guilty."

"Okay, this one says, _'Teach Rafe how to cook so he can make you breakfast in bed and dinner every night!'_ Ooo, I like this advice! I actually already have started to teach Rafe how to cook!" Everyone laughed. Alison looked around the room. It seemed like something Serena would say. "Serena?"

"How did you know that one was mine?" Serena laughed.

"I guess I'm better at this than I thought," Alison said.

Alison picked up the next card. "Okay, this one says, _'The perfect marriage begins when each partner believes they got better than they deserve.'_ Hmm, I'm not sure who wrote this one. Sounds like it's from someone who is already married. Eve?"

"Nope."

"Lucy?"

Lucy shook her head. "Yeah, that was mine."

Alison smiled. "You know, that is exactly how I feel too. Sometimes I wonder how in the world I got so lucky."

"Well you don't have to wonder about that, dear," Amanda said. "You're a beautiful and lovely young girl, and you deserve the best."

"Aww, Nana," Alison said and gave her grandmother a little hug.

"Okay read another one," Livvie said.

"Alright. _'Give a man a fish and he'll be fed for a day, but teach a man to fish and you can send him away for a whole weekend!'_ " The women laughed. "Well, I know Victor is into fishing…Mary, did you write this one?"

"Now that is some good advice right there, Alison," Mary said with a smile.

"But I don't think I want to spend a weekend away from Rafe!"

"Give it a couple of years," Mary said and she and the rest of the women laughed again.

On the next card, there were no words, but only a picture of a two stick figures. It was obviously Christina's. "Hmm, I'm not sure who this one is from," Alison played along. "It's a nice picture though; it looks like Rafe and I."

"That one's mine!" Christina announced.

"It's my favorite one! Thank you, Christina."

The child smiled proudly.

" _'Spend every second of every day together as a moment that could never be replaced.'_ Oh, that's a beautiful one. Umm…" Alison looked around. Only Livvie, Eve, and Nana were left. "Eve?" Alison guessed.

Eve smiled. "You're pretty good at this game," she winked.

Alison looked at the next one. " _'Marriage is like a fine wine. As it ages, it gets better. Look at all the good times and leave behind the bad, for there are more wonders you will find in each, as time passes by.'_ " Alison had no problem figuring this one out. "Oh, Nana, I love that one," she said and gave her grandmother a hug.

The last one was obviously Livvie's, but Alison read it aloud anyway. " _'Never underestimate the power of love because love can do miracles which you never thought possible.'_ "

Alison smiled at Livvie; the two of them were the only ones who really knew the meaning of that statement. Alison felt so happy at that moment and she gave her best friend a hug. "Thank you, Livvie."

After that, everyone treated themselves to the refreshments on the table. Then…

"Presents!" Alison squealed.

Livvie situated herself beside Alison with a book and pen, ready to record all of the gifts Alison received.

"Open me and Serena's first, Ali!" Christina ran over to Alison holding a box. Alison took the box and Christina climbed into her lap.

Alison unwrapped the present to find a box of chocolate. "Ooo! You girls got me chocolate!"

"It's good!" Christina said.

"We looked for a heart-shaped box but we couldn't find one. I guess because it's not around Valentine's Day," Serena explained.

"Oh that's fine, chocolate doesn't have to be in a heart-shaped box for me to love it!" Alison said.

"Me too!" said Christina.

"Thank you, girls," Alison said.

Christina gave Alison a kiss on her cheek and went back to sit by Serena.

"Okay, open mine!" Mary said and handed her a long box.

"Hmm, what could this be, Mary?" Alison laughed. When she opened the box, she found a bottle of expensive wine, decorated with a bow around the bottle's neck. "Ooo! Thank you, Mary!"

"Wine will always put you in the mood for romance!" she said.

"Yes it will!" Alison laughed.

The next gift Alison picked up was not wrapped, but the packaging was nicely done. It was a basket full of goodies from Bath and Body Works. "Oh my god!" Alison squealed. "Who is this from? This is my favorite!"

Eve laughed. "That's from me."

"Eve! Plumeria is my favorite! How did you know?!"

"Well it smelled nice and it was pink so I figured I couldn't go wrong. And you've got everything in there…body wash, lotion, bubble bath…"

"I will _definitely_ be using that!" Alison said. "Thank you so much, Eve."

"I'm glad you like it."

"Alright, open mine next!" Karen said and handed her a small package.

"I'm going to guess this a CD," Alison said. "Oh, I was right! Ooo, Frank Sinatra? Karen, he's so awesome, how did you know?"

"Oh everyone knows he sings some romantic songs! I wanted to get you some kind of romantic music and you can't go wrong with him."

"No, you certainly can't! Thanks, Karen!"

"You're welcome."

"Alright, what did you get me, Lucy? I'm dying to know!"

Lucy laughed and handed her a wrapped box. "I think you'll like it."

Alison undid the wrapping and inside were several candles. "Candles! I'm such a candle freak! Lucy, this is perfect!"

"They're aromatherapy candles," Lucy explained. "You've got one for relaxation, one for tranquility, one for romance…" Lucy trailed off.

"I love these! Thanks, Lucy! Okay, Nana, I'm ready for your gift!"

Amanda smiled and handed her a small box. It seemed too light to hold jewelry though. Alison looked at her grandmother in curiosity.

"Well go ahead, open it!" Amanda urged.

Alison opened the box. Inside were two slips of paper. "Oh my god! Gift certificates to the spa! Nana!" Alison got up out of her seat and gave her grandmother a hug.

"I thought you would enjoy those. One for both you and Rafe."

"I love it! Thank you!"

Amanda kissed Alison on the cheek. "You're quite welcome, dear."

"Oh this will be fun!"

"Okay, you have to open mine now; saved the best for last!" Livvie said with a laugh.

"I have to say, Livvie, I've very curious as to what you got me."

"I think you'll really love it."

"It sure is wrapped really nicely." Alison tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was a lot of tissue paper. After digging through the tissue paper, she finally came upon some kind of black silky material. Alison picked up whatever it was and held it up.

"Ooo!" all of the women said. Serena gasped and covered her little sister's eyes. Christina smiled, wondering what was going on.

Alison's face turned beet red. "Livvie!"

"You like the negligee I picked out for you?"

"Yes I love it, but my nana is sitting right here, you know!" she whispered.

Livvie laughed. "So?"

"So…it's kind of embarrassing!"

"Oh you don't have to be embarrassed about that, Alison. I used to have one just like it," Amanda winked.

"NANA!" Alison said, shocked.

"What?" Amanda asked with a straight face.

"Um, okay," Alison said, not sure if she wanted to have that visual in her head. "Um, thanks, Livvie."

"You're welcome!" Livvie laughed.

~*~*~*~

_Meanwhile at the Recovery Room…_

"Bob! We're going to need a round of beers here!" Ian called out as he, Kevin, and Rafe sat around the table at the Recovery Room.

Bob brought out their beers. "Hey, congratulations on your engagement to Alison."

"Thank you," Rafe said.

"Nervous?" Bob asked.

"No, not really. Excited though."

"We're giving him marriage advice," Kevin explained.

"I can see why you need the beers then!" Bob joked.

Ian took his beer and looked at Rafe with a matter-of-fact look on his face. "Okay, rule number one…the toilet seat."

"What?" Rafe laughed.

"Do you put it down?"

"Yeah."

"Do you really?" Kevin asked.

"Well, I guess I forget sometimes."

"Always put it down," Ian firmly stated. "Women like the toilet seat down. Alison probably hasn't said anything about it yet, but trust me, two weeks into the marriage, she'll start to nag you about it. I can promise you that. Best to get in the habit now and avoid that whole situation."

"Um, okay."

"Alright, clothes," Kevin said. "I bet you have some shirts that you really love but she's not too crazy about, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think I have a few."

"Well then if you want to keep them, then don't let her get her hands on them, because the first chance she gets, she'll give them away, or throw them away. So if they are missing, check goodwill. Chances are she took them there. And if you can't find them there, I would suggest looking in the ragbag."

"Ragbag?"

"Yeah, the wives like to cut up old shirts and use them for cleaning."

"Oh."

"What else is there, Ian? I know I'm forgetting something major."

"Hormones," Ian said. "Never blame anything on hormones. Her hormones, your hormones…her hormones especially. It's just an all-around bad idea."

"Well uh, thanks, guys, I'll uh, I'll keep all of that in mind."

"Well if you do that, then you've got nothing to worry about. You'll have a long and happy marriage!" said Ian as he took a swig of his beer.

~*~*~*~

_Later …_

"Alison?" Rafe called out as he walked into the house.

"In here," she called out.

Rafe walked towards the back of the house. It sounded like she was in the bathroom but he wasn't sure. The door to the bathroom was ajar and Rafe saw some sort of flickering light. Candles.

"Alison?" Rafe walked into the room and looked down at Alison.

"I thought you would never get home," she said with a smile on her face.

"What's all this?" Rafe looked around the room. Candles, music…

"Let's just say that the girls got me a lot of nice things this afternoon. So are you going to stand there or are you going to come join me?" Alison whispered seductively.

Rafe grinned. He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the floor. He took off his shoes. Then, he let his pants fall to the floor. Alison grinned wickedly as Rafe shed the remaining items and joined her in the tub full of bubbles.

"This is nice," Rafe said as he rested against Alison.

Alison ran her fingers through his hair. "Mmm-hmm," she mumbled. Then her hands moved to his shoulders and she began to massage him.

"Keep doing that," Rafe said, closing his eyes.

"Nana's sending us to a spa. I think we should go tomorrow. Want to?"

"Whatever you want," was his response, thoroughly enjoying Alison's massaging.

"Good, we'll go then."

Rafe reached for Alison's hands and slowly pulled them away from his shoulders. He wanted to kiss them. He loved kissing her hands. He didn't know why, he just did.

"How was your day with the boys?" Alison asked.

"It was fine. Hey, Alison?"

"Yeah?" Rafe turned around so that he was facing her. "Does it bother you if I leave the toilet seat up?"

Alison had to laugh. "What?"

"I'm asking…does it bother you at all?"

Alison wasn't sure where this was coming from. "Um, well, I guess it bugs me a little, but it's really no big deal."

"Do you like my clothes?"

"I kind of prefer you without clothing for the moment," Alison grinned and began to kiss Rafe's neck.

"Seriously, do you like what I wear?"

"Of course I do. I picked it all out for you at the mall, remember? Oh, that reminds me, there's this blue shirt at Wyndham's; I'm totally buying that one for you!" Alison laughed. "What's with the weird questions?"

"Never mind. Ian and Kevin were just talking about stuff."

"Let's not think about Kevin and Ian anymore." Alison resumed kissing his neck.

Rafe agreed and kissed Alison's lips. They stayed in the tub until the bubbles dissolved.

Rafe got out of the tub.

"Where are you going?"

Rafe got a towel and dried off quickly, eventually tying it around his waist. Then, he got another towel. It was one of those really huge cottony-soft towels. "Come on," he told Alison.

Alison stood up Rafe wrapped the towel around her. He scooped her up. "Where are we going?" Alison asked.

"Where do you think?"

"But we're wet!" Alison laughed.

"Ah, who cares?" Rafe laughed. Then, he carried Alison off to the bedroom…

 


	39. Chapter 39

originally posted 9-29-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

39

~*~*~*~

The next few weeks really seemed to fly by. As Rafe and Alison's wedding day approached, planning for it was beginning to be a lot easier. The rehearsal dinner was all set to happen on the Barrington yacht. They had finally settled on a date for the wedding, and everything was all set for when the ceremony would happen and where it would happen. A caterer was hired for the reception, as well as a photographer. All of those pesky last minute wedding details had been handled. They had even decided on a honeymoon destination…Cancun, Mexico. Alison had been to Cancun several times with her family, and they planned to stay at the same resort her family had always stayed at. Rafe had never been to Cancun. Actually, he had never been to the beach at all. He was excited though. He had always wanted to see the ocean.

Yes, everything was going off without a hitch, that is, until the wedding gown fiasco.

Alison had found the _perfect_ wedding gown. It was beautiful! It was an A-line gown, satin material, spaghetti straps, and the veil was cascading and flowing. It was simply perfect. Alison felt like a princess when she tried it on. She had first found the gown in a bridal magazine, but to get the dress, she had to visit the actual store in Manhattan. So one Saturday, Livvie and Alison drove to the city to check the store (and the dress) out. And sure enough, there was the dress in the window with Alison's name on it. But, the dress needed a few alterations, to which the store gladly offered to do and would send her back the gown within the week.

Alison waited anxiously for her dress to hurry up and come, and every time she would hear a car outside, she would run to the window to see if it was her gown being delivered.

Finally, it came!

"Livvie! It's here!"

Livvie rushed over to Alison who had this huge package with her wedding gown inside.

"Oh I can't wait to see it!" Alison said excitedly.

"Me neither!"

Alison opened the box and took out the dress. Alison's jaw dropped. "THIS IS NOT MY DRESS!"

"OH MY GOD, THAT IS UGLY!" Livvie exclaimed.

The dress was horrid! For one thing, the dress was obviously not Alison's size. Most of the dress was made of this scratchy lace material and the worst part was the sleeves. The sleeves were made entirely of lace but had decorative "donuts", as Alison referred to them, embroidered into the lace.

It took Livvie about fifteen minutes to finally calm Alison down. She was hysterical because this had to be about the worst thing that could possibly happen this close to the wedding!

"Look, don't panic!" Livvie said. "It's obvious there was just some mix-up…"

"BIG MIX-UP!"

"Yes, a big mix-up. All we have to do is call the store and let them know."

"They sent me an old lady's dress!" Alison whined.

"Look, we'll just call the store and I'm sure they'll do everything they can to fix the problem because god knows they don't want to lose customers."

Livvie picked up the phone and looked around for the number.

"Let me talk to them! I'm SO MAD!"

"No, let me handle it. I'm the maid-of-honor so it's my job to handle problems like this. Your job is to not worry about _anything_."

So Livvie, much calmer than Alison, made the call to the store and found out what the problem was.

"What did they say?" Alison asked when Livvie hung up the phone. "Is my dress coming? What's going on?"

"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine! The dress you got belongs to Mildred Barrington and there was obviously a mix-up with the last names. But they're putting a rush delivery on your dress and they'll pick up Mildred's tacky dress when they do that. It should be here tomorrow morning."

"Oh thank god!" Alison breathed a sigh of relief.

And thankfully, the next morning, Alison's dress, her _real_ dress, arrived and Alison stopped panicking.

"See, I told you everything would work out!" Livvie said cheerfully.

"You're right. Thanks so much, Livvie. I was really freaking out. I've got my dress and everything is all set…now hopefully nothing else will go wrong."

"Oh, what else could go wrong? You're marrying an angel."

The girls laughed, and then Alison went to go model her gown….

 _What else could go wrong?_ Alison would think nothing of Livvie's nonchalant statement until a few days later…

~*~*~*~

"It's just a tradition!" Alison said as Rafe stood at the door, reluctant to go.

"But, Alison, I don't know if I can make it. I mean, a whole night without you? That's going to be hell!"

Alison laughed. "Well look at it this way. The next time you see me, I'll be walking down that aisle in my beautiful wedding gown and then we'll be married."

"I like the sound of that." Rafe kissed her.

"Now go, Lucy's waiting for you."

"Are you sure you're going to be okay while I'm gone?"

"I'll be fine! Livvie will be back here in a little bit and we're going to have a girls' night. And until then, as you can see, I'll be packing for Cancun."

"Mmm!" Rafe moaned as he kissed her again. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"And I'll see you tomorrow, future Mrs. Rafe Kovich."

Alison laughed. "Bye."

Alison closed the door behind her and then squealed in delight. "I'm getting married!" Then she smiled as she started on her packing. "And, Cancun, here I come!"

~*~*~*~

Alison's suitcase lay open on the couch amidst several piles of clothing. Alison couldn't decide what to pack. A wicked smiled danced on her lips. "Alison," she told herself, "you are aware that this is your honeymoon so you won't be wearing clothes _all_ the time, aren't you?" She laughed to herself and then put a few clothes into her suitcase neatly.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," she hollered.

"Hey," Jack said as he walked in. "Whoa, this place is…"

"Yeah I know. I never realized I had so many clothes!"

"Is Livvie here?"

"No. She left a few minutes ago to get some stuff for me but she'll be back in a few."

"Do you really need to bring all of this stuff on your honeymoon?"

"No, but I just can't decide what I want to bring. And I should have gone bathing suit shopping. The ones I have now are so last year!"

"So, Alison, where did you say you and Rafe were going again?"

"Cancun!" Alison said. "And I _cannot_ wait!"

"Yeah, I was afraid of that," Jack said softly.

"We're going to spend some time in the sun and catch a little rays and…wait, what did you just say?"

"I said I was afraid you would say that."

Alison looked at Jack with a confused expression. "Well, Jack, that's kind of a weird thing to say. Why would you say that?"

"Have you been watching the Weather Channel, Ali?"

Alison laughed. "Jack, I don't even know what channel that's on! And in case you haven't noticed, I'm sorta busy packing for my honeymoon at the moment."

"Yeah, I know. So I'm going to guess that you have no clue that there's a tropical storm headed straight for Cancun."

Alison stopped her packing. "A what?"

"A tropical storm."

"Oh, Jack! A little thunderstorm is no big deal. It won't last long. And besides, I've never known Cancun to be rainy for too long. It's usually very sunny there…"

"Alison, this isn't a thunderstorm. It's a _tropical storm_ as in, you know, it could become a hurricane?"

"What? No! No! A hurricane is _not_ going to ruin our honey—wait a minute. Okay, haha, funny, Jack Ramsey! No more jokes though because I already went through the disaster with my wedding dress and the last thing I need is for something else to go wrong."

"Alison, I'm not joking. I wish I was."

Alison looked at Jack, and she could usually tell when he was joking with her…and he didn't look like he was joking. "Oh my god! No, tell me my honeymoon isn't going to be ruined!" Alison grabbed the remote and turned on the television. "What channel? What channel?"

"Forty-one, forty-one!"

"Well, okay, this is the local forecast."

"Oh they won't be talking about it now, but they will in about thirty minutes. They do the tropical update at 50 past the hour."

Alison gave Jack a look. "Jack, I mean this in the nicest possible way, but sweetie, I think you've been watching a little too much of the weather channel."

"Alison, I'm just trying to give you a heads up."

Alison muted the television. "Jack, you're sweet, but look, I'm sure this storm will pass through and it's nothing to worry about. No tropical storm or hurricane is going to ruin my honeymoon, I can guarantee you that!"

~*~*~*~

_"Tropical storm Arthur is already starting to make his appearance known with gusty winds. This is the first tropical storm of the hurricane season and although we don't expect it to become a hurricane, we do expect it to bring high winds and a lot of rain. So if you were planning on spending a weekend in Cancun, well, you should probably make other plans…"_

"MY HONEYMOON IS RUINED!" Alison screamed and turned the television off angrily.

So much for everything going as planned. Now what?

 


	40. Chapter 40

originally posted 10-4-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

40

~*~*~*~

Livvie decided that it would be best to let Alison scream, yell, whine, and whatever else she felt like doing to get the anger out of her system. Because she had to admit, if it was _her_ honeymoon that was ruined by a stupid tropical storm, she would be pissed too.

Livvie walked over to Alison and put her arm around her. "Hey, it's okay. You can always go another time."

"No, it's not okay, Livvie! This is supposed to be my _honeymoon_ , dammit!"

Livvie just sat there silently.

"I'm sorry, Livvie. I really didn't mean to snap at you like that. I'm just mad."

"It's okay, I understand. I would be really angry too."

"I can't believe I'm not going to be able to go on my own honeymoon," Alison said sadly.

"But, Alison, you know that in the end, the honeymoon won't even matter as much. I mean, I know it's special, but hey, you have a lifetime with Rafe! I'm sure nothing is more special than that."

Alison smiled at Livvie. "You're right. I'm marrying the man that I love tomorrow, and that's the most important thing."

"Exactly."

"Speaking of which, I really need to call him. I want to hear his voice."

"Okay, well why don't you go get ready for bed and then do that. You have a big day tomorrow."

"Thank you, Livvie." Alison gave Livvie a hug.

"Okay bride-to-be, go get some rest."

"Goodnight, Livvie."

"Goodnight." Livvie watched as she left the room. Livvie looked up. "Please let everything go alright tomorrow," she prayed.

Alison, finally ready for bed, crawled under the covers and was immediately regretting her decision that she and Rafe spend the night apart. What kind of stupid tradition was that anyway? Alison was getting married tomorrow-she had to be well-rested! But how in the world was that possible without Rafe?

Alison reached for the phone, but before her hand even touched it, it rang. She picked it up. "Rafe."

"How did you know it was me?" Rafe laughed.

"I sensed it was you. You're reading my mind you know. I was just about to call you, too."

"Are you in bed?"

"Yeah. Are you?"

"Yeah, and I'm lonely. Lucy's guest bedroom isn't as cozy as our room."

"Well it's not so cozy right now. It's pretty empty without you. I'm sorry I made us spend the night apart. That was a stupid idea."

"No, don't be sorry. I think maybe it'll be good for us. We'll be even more excited when we finally get to see each other again, you know, me watching you walking down that aisle…"

Alison smiled. "That's true. So, sweetheart, I've got some bad news."

"Bad news? What's wrong?" Rafe asked, his voice taking on a worried tone.

"It's about Cancun. We can't go."

"What? Why not? Was the flight cancelled?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was."

"We can take a later flight, then. It's no problem."

"No, Rafe, we can't. All flights are cancelled."

"I don't understand."

"Well, let me put it to you this way. A tropical storm is about to beat the hell out of Cancun."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I'm afraid not."

"A tropical storm?"

"Yeah, so unless we want to get soaked, I'm afraid our honeymoon will have to be postponed."

Rafe sighed. "So no Cancun, huh?" he said, disappointed.

"I'm really bummed about this, Rafe."

"I guess it's not all that important, I mean we can always go another time."

"I know, that's what Livvie said, but it won't be the same. It's just that…well, is it so much to want to spend some time alone with my husband after our wedding in a nice place?"

Rafe smiled, suddenly getting an idea. "You know what? I've got a better idea."

"You do?"

"Instead of Cancun, why don't we spend some time at that cabin we stayed at before?"

Alison smiled. "Aww, where we first made love."

"Mmm-hmm. I know it's not the beach or anything, but it's still a pretty special place for us. And we'll just take it from there."

"I love it! That's perfect!"

"Good, then we have a plan. Everything will work out, I promise you."

"I love you, Rafe."

"And I love you, too."

"I'm so excited about tomorrow, Rafe."

"So am I. I can't wait to see what your wedding dress looks like."

"Well you'll just have to wait, Rafe Kovich. It's going to be a surprise."

Rafe laughed. "Hey, when did you say your parents are coming?"

"Daddy said they would be here around 8 am."

"I still say they should have been here today for the rehearsal dinner."

"I know, but Daddy said he had something important to do in Chicago and Mom always tags along with him. But hey, the important thing is that they will be here for the wedding, and I'm just excited about that. As long as they at least make it to that, you know?"

"So am I ever going to meet them before the wedding?"

Alison laughed. "I promise, you'll meet them at some point tomorrow before the wedding."

"Okay, good, because I'd really like to meet the people who brought such a wonderful and beautiful young woman into the world."

"Rafe, you're making me blush, you know."

"Good, you look sexy when your face is all red." He laughed.

"Well you look sexy when you laugh."

"You look sexy all the time."

"So do you…this could go on for a while," Alison laughed.

"I miss you so much, Alison. Just hearing your voice makes me want to hold you."

"It's going to be so hard sleeping without you beside me," Alison said softly.

"You probably should get some sleep. We both should, actually, since tomorrow is the big day."

"Yeah. But I don't want to hang up the phone just yet. I think if I still know you're on the other end of the line, I think maybe that's comforting enough for me to fall asleep."

"We don't have to hang up the phone then. So, goodnight then?

"Yeah, I love you."

"I love you, future wife."

"Goodnight, future husband," Alison said with a smile. And Alison laid down with the phone still against her ear, and Rafe did the same. And somehow, the sound of each other's breathing helped them each fall asleep.

~*~*~*~

"Good morning," whispered a deep voice that tickled Alison's ear. Alison slowly opened her eyes and felt Rafe's arms around her. "Good morning," he repeated.

"Rafe?" Alison said sleepily and turned over to face those beautiful eyes of his looking at her with love.

"Alison, are you awake?"

"Huh?" Alison woke up and realized she had been dreaming and that Rafe's voice was coming from the phone. "Rafe?"

"Good morning, angel."

"Good morning," she said groggily. "Uh, I must have been dreaming. I thought you were right beside me."

Rafe laughed softly. "I was having that same dream. Did you sleep well?"

"Mmm-hmm. I think I'm about to fall asleep again though," she laughed.

"Well it's still really early. Why don't you go back to sleep so that you can be well-rested for today."

"Okay, I'll see you at the church," Alison said softly.

"Bye, angel," Rafe said and hung up the phone.

Alison hung up her phone and smiled as she fell back asleep.

About an hour or so later, Alison woke up again. She looked at the clock. Exactly one minute until her alarm would go off. Alison shut if off so she wouldn't have to hear it. Then, she smiled.

"Oh my god!" she said and sat up. "It's my wedding day!" It was literally as if the realization had just hit her. "Oh my god!" Alison sprung out of bed and ran to the closet to open the door. There inside was her beautiful wedding gown, just waiting to be worn. Alison squealed in delight. Then she ran out the door. "Livvie?"

"Oh good, you're up," Livvie said from the kitchen. "I was just getting breakfast started. Did you sleep good?"

Alison grinned as she sat down at the table. "I slept very well. Rafe and I were on the phone all night."

"Then how did you get any sleep?" Livvie laughed.

"No, we weren't talking on the phone all night. I meant that we, you know, stayed on the line all night. And he woke me up this morning. It was so weird, I thought he was next to me and then I realized that he was on the phone." Alison laughed.

Livvie laughed with her. "How romantic."

"It's the only way I could have got any sleep last night. I've just grown so used to having him right there beside me."

"Well, breakfast is somewhat ready," Livvie said as she was struggling with some pancakes.

"Oh I'll help you with that."

"No, no you don't. You're getting married today. It's everyone's job to pamper _you_ today.

Alison smiled. "Alright." She wasn't going to argue with that. It was really nice.

After breakfast, Alison and Livvie got dressed. Now all they had to do was to wait for Alison's parents to arrive. And after spending some time with them, it was off to the spa to get the bride ready for the big event later that afternoon.

But eight o'clock rolled around and passed, and Alison's parents had not arrived yet.

"Alison, are you sure they were supposed to be here at eight?"

"Yeah, I'm positive. That's what Daddy told me on the phone last night. I'm sure he's just late. It's only been fifteen minutes. And really, it's no big deal because the wedding is at 3 so they have plenty of time to get here. Oh, you know what, I'm going to go run to the bathroom real fast. I haven't seen my parents in a long time, so I want to make sure that I look more mature. The last time they saw me, I was kind of wild." Alison laughed.

"Okay, well then while you're doing that, I'll just get out my to-do list for today and make sure that we're getting everything done."

The phone rang.

"Will you get that Livvie?" Alison called out from the other room

"Sure." Livvie ran to the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, may I speak to Alison Barrington please?" said a woman's voice.

"Sure. Can I ask whose calling?"

"This is Veronica Carmichael, her father’s secretary. I have an important message for his daughter Alison."

"Oh, well then hold on just a second. Alison!"

Alison walked into the room. "Is it for me?"

"Yeah."

"Who is it?"

"Your father's secretary." She handed her the phone.

"Thanks," Alison said and took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, is this Alison Barrington?"

"Yes it is," Alison said all bubbly.

"Hi, this is Veronica Carmichael, your father's secretary. Your father asked me to call you to tell you that he's extremely sorry, but he and your mother will not be able to make it to Port Charles today. An urgent last minute meeting came up, one that he cannot afford to miss. He sends his apologies and best wishes."

Alison felt her heart stop, and she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

"Miss Barrington, are you still there?" Veronica asked.

"Yeah," Alison squeaked.

"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you got that message. Have a good day!" The secretary hung up without even saying goodbye.

Alison felt tears sting her eyes, and the she dropped the phone and wiped her eyes with her finger.

"Alison?" Livvie rushed over to her, obviously understanding that something was wrong. "What's wrong?"

"They're not coming, Livvie. My parents are not coming." Alison ran towards her bedroom.

"Alison, wait," Livvie said.

Alison turned around. "I just want to be alone for a little while, Livvie."

Livvie couldn't think of anything to say. She watched silently as Alison went to her room and shut the door.

 


	41. Chapter 41

originally posted 10-11-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

41

~*~*~*~

"Rafe, thanks so much for coming over. I didn't know what else to do."

"I'm glad you called me, Livvie. Where's Alison?"

"She's in the bedroom. She's been there for about ten or fifteen minutes."

Rafe walked past Livvie and walked towards the bedroom. All of those silly traditions of the groom not seeing the bride before the wedding didn't matter anymore. All he cared about was comforting his bride-to-be.

Rafe knocked on the door gently.

Alison quickly sat up and wiped her eyes with a tissue. "I'll be out in just a minute, Livvie."

"It's not Livvie." Rafe opened the door and saw Alison sitting on the bed.

"Rafe," she said softly.

Rafe could tell she had been crying. He walked over to her and held her in his arms. "I'm so sorry, Alison. I'm so sorry your parents let you down."

"I'm so stupid," Alison mumbled, her tears soaking the front of his shirt.

"No, you're not stupid for wanting your parents to come."

Alison held her head up and looked at Rafe. "How could I have fell for it, Rafe? All my life, my parents have done nothing but break their promises to me. They never showed up for the piano recitals, they never showed up for school bake-offs. Oh, but they would always promise to be there of course! But they would never show. Why did I think this would be the one exception, huh?"

"Alison-"

"And you know what the funny thing is, Rafe?" Alison started to laugh at herself. "I laid here right in this bed and I told you that my parents were not going to show up to the wedding. Didn't I tell you that, remember? You were hoping to meet my parents at the wedding, and I told you not to count on it because I knew they wouldn't show. And then the second that they say they'll be here, I believed them! God, how gullible and I? And you even said, 'Alison, you said they were always letting you down.' and I said 'No, I think they really mean it this time' and 'Oh, they're trying to make up for all of those years'. I'm SO STUPID!" Alison let everything go and just cried, not caring to wipe the hot tears that were falling down her face anymore.

"Hey, come here," Rafe said and pulled her into his arms. "Listen to me. I know that you're upset about your parents not being here, but don't beat yourself up because you believed them when they said they would be here."

"I really did believe them," Alison sobbed.

"I know you did, and there's nothing wrong with that. You wanted your parents to actually be there for you for a change."

"I can't believe Daddy would do this to me. He says he'll walk me down the aisle and then at the last minute, he has his secretary of all people call me to let me know they aren't coming. I mean, he doesn't even have the decency to call me himself to apologize. Parents don't do that, Rafe! At least not normal parents. Parents don't promise their daughters that they'll walk them down the aisle at their wedding and then just not show up."

"I know, He shouldn't have done that to you. But you know what?" Rafe cracked a little smile.

Alison looked at him and wiped her eyes. "What?"

"You don't need your dad to walk you down the aisle. Look at yourself, Alison. You have grown into this strong and independent woman. You moved out of the mansion on your own, you started a life on your own, you started a business all on your own. You don't need your father to hold your hand and walk you down the aisle. You've always been able to take care of yourself without his help. And look where that's got you." Rafe could tell that whatever he was saying, it was working. "You're smiling."

"How do you do that?"

"What?"

"You just always know the right thing to say to make me feel better."

Rafe smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Well that's my job."

"Knock, knock," Livvie said, standing at the door. "Is this a bad time?"

"No, come in, Livvie," Alison said.

"Alison, I'm so sorry they're not coming."

"Don't be sorry. It's okay. I've over it now."

"Well I still think it's a pretty rotten thing for them to do." Livvie walked over to the nightstand and grabbed a tissue. She handed it to Alison.

"Thanks. Yeah, and I'm still really mad about it all, but I'm not going to let it ruin this very special day." Alison smiled at Rafe.

"Well speaking of that, we need to get you ready, bride-to-be!" Livvie said cheerfully, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Oh, we gotta get to the spa soon," Alison suddenly remembered.

"Yeah, Lucy and Eve will be mad at us if we're late."

"Well, I think that's my cue to leave and let you get ready," Rafe said with a smile.

Alison smiled at Rafe and fell into his arms. "Thank you so much for coming over," she whispered.

"I love you," he whispered back and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

~*~*~*~

The wedding gown fiasco, Tropical Storm Arthur, and two no-show parents were enough to make any bride stress over the rest of the day's events. (And was it so much to ask to have everything run smoothly?) But the second Alison walked into the spa, she had a feeling that nothing else could go wrong. Everyone was so nice and friendly, and everyone was ready to pamper the bride-to-be on her very special day.

It was quite a sight to see at the spa that day. Alison, Livvie, Lucy, and Eve, all sitting in chairs side-by-side, decked out in blue robes, cucumbers over their eyes, mud on their faces, and little squishy sponge-like things between their toes, which were wet with paint.

"How are you ladies doing?" sang a soft British accent. It was Jeannette, one of the spa workers.

"We're great," the women said in unison.

"Wonderful, that's what I love to hear. Are you nervous about the big day?" Jeannette asked Alison.

"Maybe just a little. Just as long as I don't like, trip or fall or something totally embarrassing like that."

Jeannette laughed. "I'm sure things will go just fine."

"Yeah, I'm having a feeling that everything is going to be great today."

So what color are your bridesmaids gowns?" Jeannette asked out of curiosity.

"Pink."

"Oh really?"

Alison took the cucumbers off her eyes and looked up at her. She could sense that Jeanette was getting the wrong idea. "Oh no, not like, Pepto-Bismol pink!" Alison explained quickly.

"Oh good!" Jeannette laughed. "Because when my cousin got married, she went with the Pepto-Bismol colored gowns and it was about the most disastrous thing I've ever seen in my life."

Livvie took the cucumbers off her eyes and looked at Jeannette. "These gowns are gorgeous, trust me. It's like a really soft, romantic shade type of pink."

"Well it sounds lovely."

Alison smiled. Yes, they were lovely, and this was going to be such a lovely day…

~*~*~*~

After the spa and a light lunch, Eve and Livvie scrambled around the house helping Alison get ready and getting ready themselves.

"Eve, my hair! Do something!" Alison called out.

"Don't panic, don't panic," she said and rushed over to her.

"I'm panicking! We're going to be late!"

"No we won't. Now let me see here…" Eve took the curling iron and began to work on styling her hair.

"Need some help?" Livvie walked into the room.

"How's my makeup?"

Livvie grabbed the makeup bag on the dresser and assisted Alison. "You need a little powder."

Suddenly, a low rumbling noise was heard.

"What was that?" Alison asked.

"I didn't hear anything," Eve said.

"Please tell me that's not thunder," Alison said.

Livvie walked over to the window and looked out. And sure enough, some dark gray clouds were rolling in. Livvie turned to Alison hesitantly. "It's thunder."

And then, the rain began to fall.

 


	42. Chapter 42

originally posted 10-13-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

42

~*~*~*~

Rafe, dressed in the black tuxedo Lucy had helped him pick out a few weeks ago, walked around the empty church. It was quiet at the moment, with the exception of the rain hitting the windows. The church was already decorated with an arrangement of pink roses scattered around. It was very beautiful.

"Don!" Lucy yelled, her voice reverberating against the church walls.

Rafe looked towards Lucy's direction. "Lucy, what is it?"

"It's wrong!"

"What's wrong?"

"I'm here; what's the problem?" Don asked.

Lucy turned to Don and fumed. "Don, what were you thinking? I specifically told you that I wanted that flower arrangement over there!"

"Well I think it looks better over here," Don replied.

"No, no it doesn't! It looks better over there!"

"No, it's in the way over there."

"It's not in the way!" Lucy shot back.

Rafe shook his head. Well, so much for having a quiet, peaceful moment.

"I'm moving it back," Lucy said as she walked over to the flower arrangement and started to pick it up.

"I'm telling you, it's in the way over there, Lucy!"

Rafe cleared his throat. That got their attention. "Um, can I maybe have a say in this?"

"Oh, well of course, cousin. This is your wedding, after all. Where do you like the flowers best?" When Don wasn't looking, Lucy mouthed to Rafe and pointed, "Over there."

"You know, to be honest, I think the flowers look better there." Rafe pointed in a totally different direction.

Lucy and Don lit up excitedly.

"That's perfect!" Don said.

"Why didn't we think of that?" Lucy laughed and moved the flowers to the new location.

"Oh, the wedding cake!" Don remembered. "I need to go run and pick that up."

"Yes, that's right!"

"And also, I need to make sure the decorations for the reception are in place." Don left the room in a hurry.

Lucy turned to Rafe. "Oy, I better go make sure he doesn't screw this up. I'll be back before the wedding! Ta!" Then, Lucy took off running after Don. "Don! Don! Don't leave without me!"

Rafe couldn't help but laugh. And finally, the church was quiet again. He looked out the window. "Wow, that rain is really coming down," he said to himself.

~*~*~*~

_Back at the house…_

The first thing Alison panicked about was her wedding gown. "Rain and wedding gowns…not a good combination!" Alison hollered.

"Don't worry, Alison. I put all of the gowns in the car already," Livvie said quickly to appease her.

"Livvie, I love you! Wait a minute…I don't have to worry about the gowns, but I do have to worry about….my hair! And Eve, you just fixed it!"

"Stop panicking, Alison. We won't let anything happen to your hair," Eve said calmly.

It was about time to head to the church, and unfortunately, the rain was not letting up. Armed with the two umbrellas they could manage to find, the three women made it to the car, and they only got just a tiny bit wet.

Alison's hair survived.

Fortunately when they made it to the church, staying dry was a lot easier. Eve was able to drive the car around to the back where there was a little shelter.

"Oh good, you made it!" Serena was waiting outside the church for them. "Do you need any help with anything?"

Eve smiled at Serena and handed her the flower bouquets. "You could take these to the backroom."

"Sure, no problem."

"Serena?" Alison called out.

"Yeah?"

"Do you know if Rafe's here?"

"I think he's around somewhere…" Serena said as she headed inside.

"Okay, let's get these gowns inside," Livvie urged.

The women gathered all of their things and headed inside. It was time to really get the bride ready…

~*~*~*~

"Okay, someone help me with the zipper!" Alison laughed as she struggled with the zipper in the back of her dress.

Livvie rushed over and zipped it up. "Alison, you've got to come look at yourself in the mirror."

Alison walked over to the mirror and was speechless.

"Alison, you make a very beautiful bride," Eve commented.

"You really do, Ali," Livvie added.

Alison blushed.

"Oh, the veil!" Livvie said. "Eve, will you hand it to me?"

Eve handed Livvie the veil and Livvie carefully helped Alison put it on. "There, now you're all set."

Alison looked in the mirror. "Oh my god. This is really about to happen isn't it?"

"Mmm-hmm," Eve nodded.

"Eve, were you this nervous when you married Ian?"

"Alison, I don't know a bride who isn't nervous on her wedding day."

There was a knock on the door. "Can I come in?" Lucy asked.

"Come in, Lucy!" Alison said.

Lucy walked in and gasped. "Oh, Alison. That dress is simply gorgeous. You look beautiful!"

"Thank you, Lucy."

"Oh, I have something for you! For your 'something blue'." Lucy handed Alison a blue garter.

Alison took the garter. It looked very familiar.

"It's the same garter I wore at my wedding to Doc," Lucy said proudly. "I don't know where it came from, so you can have it. But it seems to have brought me a whole lot of good luck so I wanted to give it to you." Lucy couldn't help but notice how happy this was making Alison. "Alison, what is it?"

"Oh, Lucy, I was just thinking about something, about Rafe and I…oh, thank you so much, Lucy." Alison gave Lucy a big hug.

"Well you're very welcome!" she laughed.

"Oh, I have something for you too, Ali!" Livvie said. She walked over to her purse and got out a long black box. "Your 'something borrowed'," Livvie explained.

Alison took the box and opened it up. "Oh, Livvie, your bracelet!"

"Yeah, I know how much you love it. So it's yours for today. But remember, it's borrowed!" Livvie laughed.

Alison laughed with her. "I will be sure to return it to you. Thank you, Livvie." Alison hugged her.

"You're welcome."

"What about your 'something new'?" Eve asked.

"Oh, my something new is my wedding gown!" Alison said proudly.

"Is that my granddaughter?" Amanda said as she poked her head into the room. "It can't be. My granddaughter is just a young girl but there's a grown woman in here."

Alison laughed. "It's me, Nana."

"You look lovely, dear," Amanda said and gave Alison a kiss on the cheek.

"Well, why don't we give them a few moments?" Eve suggested to Lucy and Livvie. They agreed and left the bride with her grandmother.

"So Nana, I guess you heard that my parents aren't coming."

Amanda moved a few stray hairs behind Alison's ear. "Well you know they're awfully busy, dear."

"Yeah, I know," Alison said softly.

"I have something for you." Amanda reached into her purse and took out a box. Inside the box was a beautiful pearl necklace.

"Oh, Nana, those are beautiful."

"These have been in the Barrington family for generations. All of the Barrington women have worn these on their wedding day. And now, it's your turn. This can be your 'something old'."

"Will you put it on me?" Alison asked.

"Of course, dear." Alison turned around and her grandmother put the bead of pearls around her neck. "There."

Alison looked into the mirror and held the pearls between her fingers. "It's gorgeous."

"Now, don't lose these. Hold on to them and keep them. Maybe you'll give them to your own daughter someday."

"I'll hold on to them."

"Well, I'll let you finish getting ready. I'm going to go sit down."

"Nana."

"Yes?"

"I love you."

Amanda smiled. "I love you, too." Amanda smiled at her granddaughter once more before walking out of the room.

Alison turned to the mirror to admire herself. She had to admit-she thought she made a beautiful looking bride herself.

~*~*~*~

Rafe looked at his watch and frowned. Where was Reverend Lovejoy? Rafe didn't want to be all paranoid, but it was getting closer to that time and having someone to perform the ceremony was crucial to say the least.

"You ready to get married?" Ian's voice caught Rafe's attention.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Rafe smiled. "A bit nervous though."

"Well that's to be expected. Is um, is something else going on?" Ian sensed that something other than pre-wedding jitters was on his mind.

"Well, I got a call from the reverend about twenty minutes ago. He said he would be late because he was just getting back into town from performing another marriage ceremony and then got caught in the rain. But he should have been here by now, and he's not."

"Well give him a little while longer. You still have some time."

"True."

"Ian," Kevin said, walking into the room.

"Yeah?"

"The guests are beginning to arrive."

"Well, I have usher duties to attend to…excuse me," Ian said and followed Kevin.

Rafe stepped into the hallway and spotted the maid-of-honor. "Livvie!"

Livvie turned around. "Hey, nice tux, Rafe!"

Rafe smiled. "And that's a beautiful dress."

"Thank you."

"So um, is Alison ready?"

Livvie laughed. "Oh, I know where this is going. You can forget it, Rafe Kovich."

"What?"

"You're not seeing Alison yet."

"What's the big deal? I already saw her once today. You can't tell me you're superstitious about all of that."

"Yeah, but she's in her gown now. Don't even think about seeing her until the ceremony begins."

Rafe sighed. "Okay, fine. Listen, I need you to do me a favor."

"Sure, anything."

"Okay." Rafe dug a piece of paper out of his pocket. "This is Reverend Lovejoy's number. He's running late because of the rain. I need you to try to get in touch with him and see what's keeping him, because he should have been here by now."

"Okay, no problem. I'll do that now."

"Thanks."

"Rafe! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you!"

Rafe turned around to see Serena. "Serena, look at you! You look so grown up," he said.

The girl smiled. "Thanks, cousin!"

"What did you need?"

"Mom wanted me to let you know that she's back and she's looking for you."

"Okay, where is she?"

"In that room over there." Serena pointed him in the right direction.

"Lucy?" Rafe walked into the room.

"Rafe! Look at my pretty dress!" Christina ran over to Rafe and turned around, making her flower dress twirl.

Rafe grinned and kneeled down. "Christina, you make a very pretty flower girl."

"Sweet pea, how about you go find your sister while I talk to Rafe?"

"Okay!" The child ran out into the hallway. "Serena!"

"Lucy, you look wonderful," Rafe said.

"Think I make a good 'best-cousin'?"

"I think you make a great one. So, what's the situation with the reception?"

"Well, Don and I only got into two arguments over the placement of things but overall, everything looks great."

"Good. So, what did you need to see me about?"

Lucy laughed. "What do you think? I'm your best cousin! I have to help you get ready!"

Rafe laughed.

"Okay, so I have to admit, I don't really know much about being a best man, or best cousin rather, so I had to do a little researching."

"Researching?"

"Yeah. I went online and grabbed this nifty little best man checklist!" Lucy pulled out this sheet of paper. "Okay, it says here to _ensure that the groom has: used the restroom_. Have you used the restroom?"

Rafe laughed.

But Lucy remained dead-serious. "You won't be able to go once the ceremony starts."

"That's taken care of, Lucy."

"Oh good! Now, _ensure that his shoes are tied_." Lucy looked at his shoes. "Check. _Pants fly is up_. Check."

"Is that really on the list?"

"Yeah, it's right here!" Lucy showed him the list. "Okay, _face and hair are in order_. Check, the groom looks great. _If vows are on him, are they with him?_ Do you have your vows?"

"They're right here," Rafe said and pointed to his heart.

"Aww. Okay, _check to make sure nothing is between his teeth._ Okay, all clean. _Ring with the best man_ , oh that's me! Yep, right here!" Lucy held up her hand. The ring was on her thumb. "Okay, _are the groom's fears and second thoughts calmed and put to rest?_ Any fears or second thoughts?"

Rafe laughed. "No fears or second thoughts."

Lucy smiled. "I didn't think so. Check then. Now, there's also a list of things we may need in case of an emergency, so I'll just go through this list and make sure we have everything. Okay, _aspirin or Tylenol_. Yes, we have that. Do you have a headache?"

"No."

"Good. Well if you get one, come to me. Okay, _antacid_ , check. _Hair comb_ , check. _Black magic marker_ -black magic marker? What the hell is that for? Well, we'll just skip that one. Okay, _hair gel or spray_ , um, your hair looks fine. _Toothbrush and toothpaste_? Hmm, I'm sure you've already brushed your teeth. Oh, _mouthwash_! Very important. And _deodorant_. Also important."

"I'm fine, Lucy."

"You don't need anything?"

"Nope, I'm ready to go."

"Good!

"Knock, knock." Livvie poked her head through the doorway. "Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"We have a little situation…"

~*~*~*~

Alison, alone in the room, took this opportunity to practice. She grabbed her bouquet and slipped on her shoes. Watching herself in the mirror, she hummed the wedding march as she practiced how she would walk down the aisle. "Walk slowly and normally, Alison. Whatever you do, don't trip. Whatever you do, don't fall. Take nice, slow steps. Being nervous will make you walk faster, and therefore, increase the chances of you making a total fool of yourself." Alison practiced walking to the mirror. "Smile." She laughed. "Like I would have to remind myself to do that!" Alison cleared her throat. "I, Alison Barrington, take thee, Rafe Kovich, to have and to hold, from this day forward…"

Alison was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It's me and Jack," Jamal said.

"Um, just a second!" Alison set down her bouquet and slowly walked over to the door. When she opened the door, both Jamal and Jack's jaws dropped.

"Wow," Jamal said, "That is one incredible gown. You look beautiful, Ali."

"You're a very beautiful bride," Jack added.

"Aww, thanks guys!"

"Nervous?" Jamal asked.

"Mmm-hmm," Alison nodded.

"Well everything is going to go fine; I just know it," Jack said with a smile.

"Yeah in fact, you should see the crowd out there," Jamal said.

"Yeah, almost all of the guests have arrived now."

"Really?"

"Yeah," they said.

"Hey, is it still raining out there?"

"In sheets," Jamal said.

"Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say tropical storm Arthur was so huge that not only did it hit Cancun, but it's hitting Port Charles as well!" Alison laughed. "Well, Weatherman Ramsey, how much longer is this rain going to last?"

"Hopefully not too much longer. It's one of those summer storms though so I'm sure they'll be popping up all afternoon."

"Lovely," Alison said sarcastically.

"Can we come in?" Serena said, holding Christina's hand.

"Of course, come in, come in!" Alison said cheerfully. "Oh, look at your girls! You look beautiful!"

"So do you, that dress is really gorgeous, Alison," Serena said.

"Yeah, it's pretty! Like mine?" Christina twirled around, modeling hers.

Everyone laughed.

Alison walked over to Christina and picked her up. "You, miss Christina, are the prettiest flower girl I've ever seen!"

"Hey everyone, hate to break up the party but can I talk to Alison for a while?" Livvie stepped into the room.

"No problem, we were just on our way out," Jamal said. “Good luck, Ali.”

“Thanks, guys.”

Jack and Jamal left and Serena and Christina followed.

"So what's going on, Livvie? Did you see Rafe yet?"

"Yes I did."

"How does he look in his tux?" Alison said excitedly.

"He looks great."

"Is he nervous?"

"About as much as you are."

"Oh, I wish I could see him! Oh, I'm sorry, did you want to tell me something?"

"Yeah. Now, Alison, first of all, I don't want you to freak out or anything."

Alison suddenly became very worried. "Freak out? Why would I freak out? Livvie, what's going on? Tell me!"

"Listen, okay? Reverend Lovejoy got held up by this storm, and now on top of all of that, he's having car trouble."

"Oh no!"

"Alison, remember, don't freak out! This is not a big deal. He said he's going to try his best to get here as fast as he can, and if not, then he'll send for someone to perform the ceremony. Don't worry, you _will_ get married today. I promise."

Alison sighed. Couldn't she just get a break already?

 


	43. Chapter 43

originally posted 10-15-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

43

~*~*~*~

Livvie peeked into the main room. It was a full house already. She walked down the aisle and got a few glances.

"Um, everyone!" she hollered out, but not everyone had heard her.

Jack stepped up to the front and whistled shrilly to get their attention.

"Thanks, honey," Livvie said. "Okay, everyone, can I have your attention? I'm sure you've probably realized by now that we're running a little late. Don't worry, there will be a wedding today, I promise you. But it's just that the reverend is having car trouble and with the rain being so bad, it could be a while. So just sit tight."

~*~*~*~

Alison took a seat at the vanity table and admired herself in the mirror. She inspected herself closely to make sure her makeup was still fine. It just needed a slight touch-up.

As Alison put a little powder on her face, she heard a soft knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

Alison waited for a response. Nothing. Maybe whoever it was didn't hear her. "Who is it?" she repeated.

When no one answered again, she looked at the door. Alison smiled. The door was open just a tiny crack, and someone was sticking a pink rose through that crack.

"Rafe!" Alison jumped out of the chair and ran to the door. She laughed. "What are you doing?"

"I just remembered I wanted to give you this before the ceremony."

Alison smiled as she took the rose. She smelled it. "Aww, it's beautiful."

"Can I come in?"

"Close your eyes first."

Rafe did as he was told and Alison led him into the room.

"Keep them closed."

"I am."

Once Rafe was finally in the room, Alison closed the door behind them. "Okay, now you can open them."

Rafe slowly opened his eyes. In his mind, he had all sorts of visions of what Alison would look like wearing a wedding gown, but nothing in his mind compared to the vision he was seeing before his eyes now. "Alison…"

Alison beamed. "You like it?" She turned around, showing off the dress.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

Alison kept smiling.

"I had all sorts of images in my mind about how you would look at this moment, but nothing in my mind was ever this good." Rafe inched closer to her. And at the moment, the only thing on his mind was kissing those lips…

"Uh-uh," Alison said and backed away. "Not yet."

"Aww," Rafe pouted.

"Sorry, you'll just have to wait. And besides, I just fixed my makeup."

"So, I guess we'll be waiting just a little while longer."

Alison took Rafe's hand and led him the couch in the corner. "Well we'll just have to find some way to pass the time." Alison smiled at Rafe and moved a lock of his hair behind his ear. "By the way, you look pretty wonderful yourself. That tux is great."

Rafe laughed.

"Rafe Kovich!" Livvie scolded as she stormed into the room. "I told you to stay out!"

Rafe looked at Alison. "Uh-oh."

"She caught us," Alison laughed.

"Alison, I told you not to let him in."

"But I had to. He had a pink rose!" Alison laughed and held up the rose.

"Well, so much for keeping up with tradition these days," Livvie sighed.

"Oh, Livvie, any updates?" Alison asked.

"Not yet. Reverend Lovejoy said he would call me back in a little while. I'll let you know when he calls. Well, I'm going to go check on some things." Livvie headed out the door. "Oh, and Rafe, don't mess up her makeup," she warned, and then left.

~*~*~*~

Out in the church lobby, Kevin met up with Lucy.

"There you are," Kevin said, walking over to his wife.

"Yep, here I am!" she said cheerfully. "I had to make sure Rafe was ready."

"Is he?"

"Oh yeah, and he's excited too. Now, if only that Reverend Lovejoy would hurry up and get over here, we could have a wedding."

"You know, I guess it's actually a good thing that the reverend is late because I see the father of the bride is late as well. That storm must really be bad."

"Oh, Doc, you don't know yet, do you?"

"Know what?"

Lucy frowned. "Alison's father. He's not coming."

"What? Why not?"

"He had a business meeting."

Kevin was stunned. "You mean to tell me that Alison's father is going to a business meeting instead of his own daughter's wedding?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. Pretty rotten thing to do, isn't it?"

"Men like that make me so angry," Kevin fumed. He looked across the room at Livvie. "You know, Lucy, if there is one thing I wish I could have the most, it would be to have been there for Livvie when she was growing up."

"But, Doc, you know that's not your fault."

"I know it's not, but I still wish that I could have watched her grow up. I wish I could have taken her out for ice cream on Saturdays when she was seven. And I wish I could have been there to scare all of those boys that came knocking on the door when she was a teenager."

Lucy laughed at that last one.

"I missed so many years with my daughter, Lucy, all because I didn't even know she existed. And then you have guys like Malcolm Barrington who know they have a daughter but don't even give a damn. It's just not fair."

"No, it's not."

"Well whose going to walk Alison down the aisle now?"

"She said she's going to walk down the aisle by herself."

"No, she shouldn't have to do that. I'll right back."

"Doc, where are you going?"

"I'm going to go find Alison," Kevin replied, and Lucy didn't have to ask what he was planning to do.

Kevin walked over to his daughter. "Livvie."

"Yeah, Daddy?"

"Where's Alison?"

"She's in that room with Rafe," Livvie said, pointing him in the right direction.

"Thanks." Kevin started to walk away, but then he stopped and turned back around.

"Livvie?"

"Yeah?"

Kevin walked over to his daughter and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you, Daddy." Livvie smiled and watched her father walk away. She wondered what that was all about.

Kevin gently knocked on the door.

"Come in," he heard Alison say.

Kevin walked in and smiled. There was Alison, all dressed in her beautiful wedding gown. He thought about how unfair it was for such a nice young girl to have such a jerk of a father. He was really missing out on something special today.

"Hi, Kevin," Alison beamed.

"You look beautiful," Kevin smiled.

"Thank you." Alison blushed for about the hundredth time today. Everyone kept telling her how beautiful she was.

"So, are you two nervous about the wedding?" Kevin walked over to them and pulled up a chair.

"A little," Rafe laughed. "And also a bit anxious. I'm beginning to wonder what's keeping Reverend Lovejoy."

"Well I'm sure he'll be here as soon as he can. Alison, I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Sure."

"First of all, I heard about what happened with your father. I'm really sorry about that. He shouldn't be missing this. If it were Livvie getting married, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"It's okay, Kevin. I'm sort of used to it. My parents are never really good at keeping their promises, even for special occasions. I mean, they weren't even at my own graduation. But really, it's okay. I'm not going to let that ruin my wedding day."

"Well, I'll be honest with you, Alison. I don't think it's okay. I don't think a lovely young girl such as you should have to walk down the aisle by herself."

"Kevin, are you offering what I think you're offering?"

"Alison, if you would like, I would be honored to walk you down the aisle. You're my daughter's best friend, and well, I like to think of you as sort of a second daughter. Actually, fourth daughter," Kevin laughed.

Alison couldn't help but smile. She felt like she would cry but she tried to hold her tears back. "Kevin, oh my god, that's so nice of you. I would love it if you would walk me down the aisle." Alison leaned forward and gave him a hug.

Kevin looked at Alison and smiled. "Oh shoot, look at that. I'm making you cry; I'm going to make you ruin your makeup."

Alison laughed. "Kevin?"

"Yes?"

"I was thinking just now. You know, back with that whole Cedric situation, you were really there for me, and it meant a lot. My parents, well, they were never there for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is…I think I should have asked you to walk me down the aisle in the first place."

Kevin grinned. "Well, I'll leave you two now. Just let me know whenever you're ready."

"Okay," Alison smiled.

Kevin smiled back at her and walked out of the room.

"Well, it looks like everything is falling into place," Rafe said.

"If only Reverend Lovejoy would hurry up and get here."

Rafe put his finger on Alison's lips to silence her. "Shh, everything will work out, I promise you. Nothing is going to stop me from making you my wife today."

Alison laughed and she and Rafe hugged.

~*~*~*~

Fifteen minutes had passed, and the guests were getting antsy. No one was leaving, because the wedding hadn't been called off, and besides, the rain was so bad anyway. Some got out of their seats and walked around. Some talked and mingled. Some just sat there and found something to do to occupy their time. Chris, meanwhile, had other plans. He stood up and walked to the front of the church.

"What are you doing?" Doree asked him, but Chris ignored her.

"Everyone!" Chris called out to get their attention. The ones in the room looked in his direction. Chris cleared his throat. "Looks like we're stuck here for a while. So until then, anyone up for some wedding jokes? Hmm?" Chris had a questioning look on his face. He was going to tell jokes anyway. "You know, the only problem with weddings is that you never get to prove who the best man really is." Chris laughed to himself.

"Chris," Doree warned, not too pleased with his antics.

"Okay, okay, here's another one. So on the morning after their wedding night, the groom called down to their hotel's room service to order breakfast. For himself he ordered one pound of bacon, twelve fried eggs, and two gallons of orange juice to restore his fluids. For his wife he ordered a plain head of lettuce. The clerk was surprised by the latter and said, 'Won't your wife be wanting anything else?' And the groom said, 'Not at this point. I'm conducting an experiment to see if she eats like a rabbit, too.'" Chris laughed. "Get it? Because you know rabbits…" Chris saw someone laughing. "Yeah, he knows what I'm talking about!"

At this point, Jack walked over to Chris. "Okay, Chris, that's enough. It's not funny."

"Yeah, yeah it is funny. Okay, why does the bride wear white? Give up? Because it's always good for the dishwasher to match the fridge and stove!"

"Okay, enough of that, Chris," Jack said again. "May I remind you that Amanda Barrington is here?"

"You just can't please anyone these days," Chris said disgruntled as he walked away.

~*~*~*~

Livvie walked around the church looking for Alison. She and Rafe had left the room. Where did they go?

"Eve, have you seen Alison?"

"I saw her waiting in the lobby with Rafe."

"Okay, thanks!"

Livvie rushed to the lobby and found Rafe and Alison sitting over by the window. "Hey, what are you two doing in here?"

"That room was getting a little claustrophobic," Alison explained.

"Oh. Well I have some good news!"

"Good news?" Alison asked excitedly. She and Rafe got on their feet.

"Yeah. The reverend just called and said that somebody was on their way. And he wanted me to tell you two that he is terribly sorry he cannot perform the ceremony himself. He feels really bad about the whole situation."

"Aww, poor Reverend Lovejoy!" Alison said. "Rafe, we should send him something because that man is so nice. Being all worried about disappointing us when it's not like he could help the weather or his car."

"See, I told you everything would work out," Rafe said.

"Yes, you did." Alison smiled at Rafe.

"Okay, so I'm going to go talk to everyone and hopefully we can get this show on the road soon." Livvie winked and left the room.

"Not too much longer now," Rafe said as he took hold of Alison's hands.

"Nope. Ooo!"

"What?"

Alison laughed. "The butterflies in my stomach are going crazy!"

Rafe laughed.

"I feel all jittery and excited! We're getting married, Rafe!"

Suddenly, the two felt a little breeze. The door had opened, and someone had just walked in. Rafe and Alison turned to see who it was.

Rafe had to blink, because he wasn't sure if he was seeing things or not. "ED?!"

Alison stood there silently with her jaw dropped. It was that man from the park!

Rafe laughed. "Ed?! What are you doing here?" he asked excitedly.

"What do you think I'm doing here? I'm here to get you two kids married," he replied. "Oh, and by the way, it's Reverend Ed today."

 


	44. Chapter 44

originally posted 11-03-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

44

~*~*~*~

"Ed, I never thought I would see you again!" Rafe said excitedly, grinning like a schoolboy. "Well, I mean, of course I knew I would see you again but…but here? Ed!"

Ed laughed. "It's good to see you too, kid."

Alison kept her eyes on Ed with her jaw dropped.

"Oh, Alison, I can finally introduce you! This is…"

"Yeah, we've met before," Alison said, her eyes still on Ed.

Rafe looked at Alison, then at Ed, then back to Alison again. "Huh?"

"So you're Ed?" Alison asked with a smile on her face.

Ed grinned. "In the flesh."

"I can't believe I didn't figure this out sooner! Of course, I should have known you were Ed!" Alison laughed.

Rafe was still confused. "Um, Alison, what are you talking about? How do you know Ed?"

"He was that man I met in the park, Rafe. Remember?"

"What man in the park?"

"Oh, never mind, it was a long time ago." Alison turned back to Ed. "Ed, I'm so glad that I get a chance to talk to you again. I wanted to tell you…what you said to me in the park that day. You really made me think. If it hadn't have been for you, I don't think Rafe and I would even be together now. After talking to you, I stopped denying my feelings. You made me realize what I was truly feeling in my heart."

"Nah, you would have figured that out on your own anyway. I just gave you a nudge." Ed winked.

Alison beamed. "Well I can't thank you enough."

"This is unbelievable," Rafe laughed. "You knew Ed this whole time!"

"Well I didn't know _he_ was Ed!"

"So wait, Ed, did you say you're going to marry us?"

"Well someone's gotta do it. And as hard as I worked to get you two kids together, I'm not about to see all of that get ruined on account of some rain and a late reverend."

Alison laughed.

"Wait. Ed, aren't you forgetting something?" Rafe asked.

Ed looked around. "No, I don't think so. I'm dressed for the occasion, aren't I?"

Rafe leaned forward. "Ed, you're not a reverend," he whispered.

Ed looked at Alison and shook his head. "Amazing. I make it possible for him to live life as a mortal and he doubts my ability to pull this off."

"Well, Ed, I'm just saying…"

"Don't worry about anything. I've got it all covered. I pulled some strings with the big guy. Now, shouldn't you two be taking your places? We've got a wedding ceremony to put on!" Ed began to hum the wedding march to himself and made his way to the front of the church.

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other. The moment they had been waiting for, which had felt like forever, was finally here…

~*~*~*~

"Okay," Alison said as she looked around, making sure everything was all set. "I've got my bridesmaids, and they look wonderful. Where's my flower girl?"

"I'm here!" Christina said excitedly.

"And she looks so cute too! Okay, I've got my flower girl. I've got my future husband waiting for me. Rafe's got his best man, er, best cousin. And I've got my substitute dad." Alison smiled at Kevin. "Okay, is that everything?"

Alison and her bridesmaids looked around and smiled. They were ready.

"And I've got the flowers!" Christina said proudly and held up her basket of rose petals.

"Yes, you've got the flowers…flowers?" Alison suddenly remembered something very important. "Oh my god, we forgot the bouquets!"

"I know where they are!" Eve said and ran off to go get them.

Pachelbel's Canon began to play as the guests were finally seated once again.

Alison turned to Livvie. "How do I look?" she asked one last time.

"You look beautiful," Livvie reassured.

Lucy raced to the front of the church to join Rafe as the ceremony was starting. "I'm here, cousin!" she whispered. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Rafe laughed.

"Well you won't have to wait too much…oh my god." Lucy's jaw dropped as she looked at the reverend. "I've seen that man before, but where?"

Ed's eyes locked with Lucy's. He winked at her, and Lucy was left completely dumbfounded as she tried to place where she had seen this man before.

Rafe didn't hear Lucy talking to herself, as only one thing was on his mind.

All eyes turned to the back as Ian led Amanda Barrington down the aisle. Ian escorted Amanda to her seat at the front of the church.

Following them was Eve. She walked down the aisle gracefully and took her place at the front of the aisle.

The maid of honor was next. Livvie held her bouquet of flowers and smiled as she walked down the aisle. She passed Jack.

"You're so beautiful," he mouthed. Livvie smiled at him and finished her walk. She took her place beside Eve.

Christina stood at the end of the aisle and watched.

"It's your turn, Christina," Kevin reminded the girl.

Christina jumped, suddenly remembering her duty. She smiled big as it was her time to shine.

"Aww," the guests said collectively at the sight of the flower girl. She looked like a doll with her white dress and her hair styled like a princess's.

As she made her way down the aisle, Christina sprinkled handfuls of pink rose petals on the floor. Every so often, she would stop and look at the crowd and smile. She knew everyone was watching her. When she arrived at the front, she noticed that she still had a handful of petals in her basket.

"Mommy," she whispered. "I still have more flowers!"

"That's okay, sweet pea," Lucy whispered back.

Christina found a solution to her problem. She took the basket and dumped the remaining petals out. Everyone laughed. Christina smiled once more at everyone and then ran to go stand with Serena at the front pew.

Finally, all eyes turned to look at bride.

"You ready?" Kevin whispered.

"Mmm-hmm," Alison beamed.

Everyone stood up for the bride as Kevin escorted her down the aisle.

Alison couldn't help but blush as everyone watched her and smiled. Then, she looked at Rafe, standing there waiting for her. He was smiling the whole time.

Even though he had seen Alison already, the sight of her walking down the aisle in the gown took Rafe's breath away. Alison smiled at Rafe as she moved closer to him.

When Kevin and Alison finally arrived, he let go of her hand. He kissed the bride softly on her cheek. Alison took her place to Rafe's left. They smiled at each other. Alison could feel tears stinging her eyes, and Rafe felt his heartbeat accelerate. The moment was finally here.

The music grew softer and slowly came to an end.

Ed cleared his throat. "You may be seated." The guests sat down. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and angels, and the presence of friends and loved ones, to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes and blessings to the words which shall unite Rafe and Alison in holy matrimony."

"Marriage is a most honorable estate, created and Instituted by God, signifying unto us the mystical union, which also exists between Christ and the Church; so too may this marriage be adorned by true and abiding love."

"Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage, they must speak now or forever hold their peace." (there was silence)

"Who is it that brings this woman to this man?"

Kevin stepped forward. "I do."

"Rafe and Alison, life is given to each of us as individuals, and yet we must learn to live together. Love is given to us by our family and friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and living together is one of life's greatest challenges and is the shared goal of a married life."

"But a husband and wife should not confuse love of worldly measures for even if worldly success is found, only love will maintain a marriage. Mankind did not create love; love is created by God. The measure of true love is a love both freely given and freely accepted, just as God's love of us is unconditional and free."

"Today truly is a glorious day the Lord hath made - as today both of you are blessed with God's greatest of all gifts - the gift of abiding love and devotion between a man and a woman. All present here today - and those here in heart - wish both of you all the joy, happiness and success the world has to offer."

"As you travel through life together, I caution you to remember that the true measure of success, the true avenue to joy and peace, is to be found within the love you hold in your hearts. I would ask that you hold the key to your heart very tightly."

"Within the Bible, nothing is of more importance than love. We are told the crystalline and beautiful truth: "God is Love". We are assured that "Love conquers all". It is love, which brings you here today, the union of two hearts and two spirits. As your lives continue to interweave as one pattern, remember that it was love that brought you here today, it is love that will make this a glorious union, and it is love which will cause this union to endure."

"Would you please face each other and join hands?"

Alison handed her bouquet to Livvie and she and Rafe joined their hands.

"Rafe, do you take Alison to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only to her forevermore?"

Rafe smiled at Alison. "I do."

"Alison, do you take Rafe to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only to him forevermore?

"I do," Alison beamed.

"A marriage ceremony represents one of life's greatest commitments. But it also is a declaration of love. I wish to read to you what Paul wrote of love in a letter to the Corinthians. I believe it is a true model of love and it is a model of love I hope you pursue in your marriage:

_'Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud.  
Love is never haughty or selfish or rude. _   
_Love does not demand its own way._   
_Love is not irritable or touchy._   
_Love does not hold grudges and will hardly notice when others do it wrong._   
_Love is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out._   
_If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the costs. You will always believe in them, always expect the best in them, and will always stand your ground in defending them.'_

“And now, I believe the couple has written their own vows. Rafe?”

“Alison,” Rafe began, “a few months ago, I made a promise to you. I promised you that I would carry your love with me forever. Well I want you to know that I still have every intention of keeping that promise to you. I call you my angel, Alison, because that’s what I truly believe you are. You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, with a heart full of love. It’s not every day that someone finds and connects with a person that special. And I promise you, Alison, that no matter where life takes us, we’ll be traveling that journey together, because I love you more than anything else in this world, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

Alison blinked her eyes when she felt herself starting to cry. She quickly regained her composure, knowing that it was her turn to say her vows, and she wanted this moment to be perfect. “Rafe, people say that nothing can get in the way of true love, and I believe we are a testament of that. It seems that somehow, some way, fate just kept throwing us together in the same situations until we could no longer fight it. Destiny brought us together, but it will be love that will keep us together. I promise you, Rafe, that you and I will grow and build a life together, a life full of love and happiness. And one day when we have children, they’ll learn from us what it means to truly love someone, and they’ll know what it feels like to be blessed by love. It’s the greatest feeling, and the greatest gift of all, to love, and to be loved by someone. And when I look at you and see the love in your eyes, I thank God for that.”

Ed smiled. "Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of this man and this woman in marriage."

Livvie handed Alison the groom's ring.

"Alison, repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

"With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Alison placed the ring on Rafe's finger.

Rafe turned to Lucy and she handed him Alison's ring.

"With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," Rafe said as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, our hearts are filled with great happiness on Rafe and Alison's wedding day, as they come before You pledging their hearts and lives to one another. Grant that they may ever be true and loving, living together in such a way as to never bring shame or heartbreak into their marriage. Temper their hearts with kindness and understanding, rid them of all pretense or jealousy. Help them to remember to be each other's sweetheart, helpmate, best friend and guide, so that together they may meet the cares and problems of life more bravely. And with the passage of time, may they find great contentment in the rich joy of senior companionship. May the home they are creating today truly be a place of love and harmony, where Your Spirit is always present. Bless this marriage we pray and walk beside Rafe and Alison throughout all of their lives together. We ask these things in Jesus name; Amen."

"Amen," everyone repeated.

"Rafe and Alison, the two separate candles symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. I ask that each of you take one of the lit candles and that together you light the center candle."

Rafe and Alison each took a candle and lit one candle together.

"The individual candles represent your lives before today. Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one."

After the candle lighting, Rafe and Alison were both handed a pink rose.

"Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other. You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of "husband" and "wife." For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose."

"In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant the words "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single rose. Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife."

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other as they exchanged the roses.

"In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage."

"Rafe and Alison, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - whether it be a large and elegant home - or a small and graceful one - that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that this will be a marriage based upon love."

"In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words. It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love. It might be difficult sometimes to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply cannot find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose than says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words. That rose says the words: "I still love you." The other should accept this rose for the words which cannot be found, and remember the love and hope that you both share today. Rafe and Alison, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure."

"Rafe and Alison, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the giving of these rings and the joining of your hands, I now declare you to be husband and wife."

Ed could sense Rafe was impatient, just waiting for him to say it. He chuckled. "You may kiss the bride."

Rafe couldn't wait as he touched Alison's face and pulled her lips to his.

They melted into a long and breathtaking kiss. A _very long_ and breathtaking kiss.

Ed shook his head. "And you may continue kissing the bride."

Everyone laughed and started to clap.

"It is my privilege to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Rafe Kovich."

The guests continued to cheer for the newlyweds as music played again and they headed back up the aisle. And through the church windows, the sun was shining…

~*~*~*~

After the ceremony, several of the guests had gone on to the reception. Rafe and Alison stood outside of the church talking to Ed.

"Ed, you are coming to the reception, aren't you?" Rafe asked hopefully.

"Yes, please come to the reception!" Alison begged.

Ed smiled. "Kids, I'd love to go, but I've got to get back. Heavenly duties, you know."

"Are you sure you can't just stay for a little while, Ed?" Rafe pleaded.

Ed looked at Rafe, the young man he loved like his own son. He had grown all too familiar with that face Rafe would make when he really wanted something, but unfortunately, he had to say no. "I'm sorry, Rafe."

"That's okay, I understand."

"But, I do have something!" Ed was holding some kind of paper behind his back. He held it out and gave them each one.

"These are plane tickets," Alison said.

"TO HAWAII!" Rafe said excitedly.

Alison gasped. "Hawaii?"

Ed laughed, and he knew he would never forget the look on their faces when they saw those tickets. "Yeah, I figured you kids deserved to have the honeymoon you dreamed about. It's not Cancun but…well, it's dry. Well, it rains there a lot but don't worry, none of those tropical storms will be bothering you."

Rafe couldn't stop smiling. This was the best day ever! "Ed, this is just so great!"

"I thought you would like it. Now, I know you two had plans to go to the cabin because that's a special place for you. So why don't you go there tonight, and then tomorrow, a driver will be waiting to take you to the airport. And then, you'll be saying aloha to the islands of Hawaii."

"This is so exciting!" Alison squealed. "Thank you so much, Ed!"

"You're welcome, Alison. Well, time for me to head back."

"Wait, Ed, am I going to see you again? Soon I mean?"

"I don't know, son, but I'll be watching over you. And you know if you ever need me, just look up. I'm only a thought away."

Rafe smiled at Ed, then hugged the older angel tightly. "I'll miss you, Ed. Thanks for today."

"Alison," Ed smiled at her.

Alison suddenly threw her arms around the man, taking Ed a little by surprise. "Bye, Ed."

"Bye, kids." Ed smiled at them one last time before slowly fading away into nothingness. And when they looked up to the sky towards Heaven, they saw the most beautiful rainbow that they had ever seen.

 


	45. Chapter 45

originally posted 12-03-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

45

~*~*~*~

The guests began to arrive at the Versailles Room of the Port Charles Hotel while the bride, groom, and the rest of the wedding party were taking formal pictures. Finally, Rafe and Alison made their grand appearance.

The DJ announced, "Ladies and gentleman, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Rafe Kovich." And everyone cheered--the fun was about to begin...

When the guests were seated for dinner, Lucy stood up and tapped her glass with a fork, getting everyone's attention. "Everyone, if I could get your attention for just a moment. Thank you. Alright, first of all, I would just like to say how wonderful it is to see each and every one of you on this day, this very special day." Lucy smiled at the bride and groom. "You know, just a few months ago, Christmas Eve to be exact, many of us were gathered in this very same room celebrating another very special day. But this is their special day so I won't get into that." The audience laughed lightly. "And you know, I remember looking at those two and seeing…something. There was something between them. And when I look at Rafe and Alison today, I don't think I've ever seen a couple more in love than they are, well, except maybe for me and Doc." The audience laughed again. "Alison, Rafe, I, and including everyone else in this room, wish you all the best. May your marriage be blessed with many years of joy and happiness, and may you always be as happy and in love many years from now as you are today." Lucy raised her glass. "To Alison and Rafe."

"To Alison and Rafe," the guests repeated and raised their glasses. Even little Christina participated with her juice in a fancy glass.

"Thank you, Lucy," Rafe said, smiling at his cousin.

"I haven't missed too much have I?" laughed a voice from the corner.

Everyone looked towards the door to see who it was.

"Reverend Lovejoy!" Alison said excitedly.

"You made it!" Rafe added.

The guests applauded at the reverend's arrival.

"Yes, finally. But I regret having to miss the big event. I hope things went well."

"Things went wonderful!" Alison beamed.

"Oh good, I'm glad."

"Reverend Lovejoy, you're just in time," Lucy said. "Here, why don't you take a seat here? We were just about to eat."

Reverend Lovejoy thanked her. Then, he offered to lead the guests in a little prayer and gave his blessings to the newlyweds.

~*~*~*~

After dinner, it was time for Alison and Rafe's first dance as husband and wife. They decided that for their first dance, it was appropriate to play one of the first songs they had ever danced to. The only song they could remember was "Someone Like You" played at Lucy and Kevin's wedding. Rafe took Alison's hand and led her to the center of the room.

All eyes were on them, but Rafe and Alison were oblivious.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are?" Rafe asked.

"Oh, just a couple hundred times today, but I don't mind hearing it over and over. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and realize this was all a dream."

"Well then I'll have to keep reassuring you that it's the real thing." Rafe smiled.

Alison smiled back and let out a little laugh.

"What?"

"I was just thinking of something. Remember when we first danced together? And you made me float."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Wouldn't it be funny if you still had your powers and you made that happen again. Then everyone that's staring at us right now would be like, 'What's going on?'"

Rafe laughed. "I could tell them that I literally swept you off your feet."

"I love you." Alison smiled and kissed her husband.

~*~*~*~

Alison and Rafe, holding hands, were in a world of their own as they walked around the room.

"I know I keep saying it, but this just seems so surreal," Alison sighed. "If someone had told me at Lucy's wedding that you and I would be here for our own wedding reception a few months later, I would have said they were crazy!"

Rafe laughed. "Well life is full of wonderful surprises, isn't it?"

"Yes it is. So um, husband?"

"Yes, wife?"

"Well I've been here several times before, and if I remember correctly, there's this little hallway towards the back that's very secluded."

Rafe raised his eyebrow. "Secluded?"

"Let's sneak away," she whispered and led Rafe towards the back.

"Ooo, you're right. It is secluded."

"That's the point." Alison laughed and put her arms around him, and _just_ as they were about to kiss…

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't know anyone was over here," said Colleen, who realized she had obviously stumbled across a private moment between the newlyweds.

Alison laughed. "It's okay, Colleen."

"That was a beautiful wedding ceremony. And your dress is just gorgeous, Alison! Not to forget you, Rafe, you look pretty wonderful yourself."

Rafe and Alison laughed.

"Oh, let me see the ring," Colleen begged.

"Isn't it just so beautiful?" Alison beamed and held out her hand.

"It's very beautiful! Oh, look at that diamond. Rafe, you picked a wonderful ring."

"Thank you."

"Well, I'll let you two get back to um, whatever you were doing." Colleen smiled knowingly.

"Thank you for coming, Colleen!" Alison said politely. She turned to Rafe. "Whew, thought she would never leave. Now where were we?"

Rafe laughed and the two began to kiss a little.

"I had a feeling the bride and groom slipped away to go make-out somewhere," Livvie teased.

"Hi, Livvie," Alison said.

"Come on, save it for the honeymoon. I want to talk to you." Livvie took Alison's arm.

"What about me?" Rafe asked.

"Why don't you go dance with Nana?" Alison suggested with a big grin on her face.

"You want me to dance with your grandmother?"

"Yeah, she would totally love it if you asked her! And it'll make a really good impression, trust me." Alison gave him a quick kiss on his cheek and then went off with Livvie.

"So what's this about a honeymoon in Hawaii I hear?" Livvie asked Alison.

Alison looked around to make sure no one was in hearing distance. "I've been dying to tell you this." Alison pulled Livvie aside. "Do you ever remember me telling you about Ed?"

"I think so. Rafe's boss 'up there', right?"

"Yeah. You met him tonight by the way."

"What?"

"He was the one who married us!" Alison laughed.

"That was him?"

"Yeah!"

"Wow, that's so cool!"

"Yeah, Ed saved the day!"

"But wait, you didn't answer my question."

"Oh, the honeymoon. Yeah, that was Ed's little gift to us. He figured since our trip to Cancun was ruined, the least he could do was to send us someplace just as nice, or nicer rather."

"I'm jealous, Ali. No one has ever sent me to Hawaii," Livvie pouted.

"I tell you what…I'll buy you a grass skirt and a coconut bra."

"Deal!" Livvie said excitedly and the girls laughed.

~*~*~*~

Rafe cleared his throat nervously. He was always nervous around Amanda Barrington for some reason. "Mrs. Barrington?"

Amanda turned around and smiled. "There he is now." Amanda turned to her friends. "Martha, Clarice, let me introduce you to my grandson in-law. Rafe, these are two of my dear friends from the charity guild, Martha Spearman and Clarice Goldman."

"Well I'm pleased to meet both of you, and thank very much for coming." Rafe shook their hands.

"Doesn't he have such wonderful manners? I declare that my granddaughter Alison has picked a fine young man to be her husband. He's planning on being in the ministry," she boasted.

"That's very admirable, young man," Martha said.

"Yes, it is. I think Alison made a fine choice," Clarice added.

Martha and Clarice smiled at Amanda, indicating that they were impressed.

"Well, Mrs. Barrington, would you care to dance?"

Amanda grinned at Martha and Clarice. "He's such a charmer." She turned to Rafe. "I would love to dance."

~*~*~*~

"Alison, you've gotta promise me something."

"Sure, Livvie. Anything."

"Okay, when you go to Hawaii, if you can convince Rafe to take hula lessons with you, you _must_ take pictures so that I can see!"

Alison laughed. "Well I'll try but I don't know if the hula is really his thing!"

"Ali."

Alison felt a slight tugging on her dress. She looked down and saw Christina. "It's my favorite flower girl!" Alison picked the girl up.

"Hi, Christina," Livvie said.

"When do we get cake?" she asked.

Alison laughed. "In just a little while. You know what, Christina? I wanted to tell you that you were a very good flower girl."

"I like being the flower girl. I get to wear a pretty dress," she responded.

Alison and Livvie laughed.

"I think we all like the pretty dresses we get to wear at weddings," Alison said.

"We get cake in a little while, Serena!" Christina called out.

Serena walked over to them. "Cool. Hey, when are you going to do the bouquet toss?"

"A little bit later."

"What's that?" Christina asked Alison.

"Well the bouquet toss is when you get all of the ladies who aren't married in the middle of the room, then do you remember the flowers I was holding at the wedding?" Christina shook her head. "Well then I turn around and throw those flowers over my shoulder, and whoever catches it will be the next girl to get married."

"Can I try to catch it?" she asked excitedly.

"Hmm, well are you a lady?"

"I'm a little lady."

"Are you married?"

"No," Christina laughed.

"Well then yes, you can try to catch it too."

"Yay!" she cheered.

~*~*~*~

"So, cousin, how does it feel to be a married man?" Lucy asked as the two of them danced.

Rafe had lost count of how many times he had been asked that question tonight, but he really didn't mind answering again.

"I feel like the luckiest man on earth." He looked across the room and watched Alison.

Lucy smiled. "Well hold on to that feeling…never let go."

"No chance of that happening, Lucy. Alison is stuck with me forever."

"Well it was a beautiful wedding. Speaking of which, that reverend! He looks so familiar."

"Reverend Lovejoy?" Rafe asked, although he knew Lucy was referring to Ed.

"No, no, no! The other one...the one who married you. I swear I have seen him somewhere before, but I can't remember where!"

Rafe smiled. "Maybe he's just got one of those faces."

"Maybe," Lucy said, but quite convinced that she had in fact seen that man before.

~*~*~*~

Alison spotted Jack over at the refreshment table quickly shoving a cookie into his mouth. Alison laughed. That boy was like a bottomless pit. He could eat anything and everything and never get full.

"Jack Ramsey," she called out from behind him.

Jack turned around and wiped a crumb away from the corner of his mouth.

"Are you ever going to ask the bride to dance?" Alison grinned.

"I am now," Jack grinned. "May I have this dance?

"That would be lovely," Alison laughed.

Jack grinned as he took Alison's hand and led her over to the dance floor. "So, how does it feel to be a married woman?"

"So far, it feels really great!"

"Well you look really happy."

"That's because I am. I'm the happiest I've ever been before." Alison looked across the room at her husband dancing with his cousin. Rafe caught her gaze and smiled back at her.

"Well I'm happy for you," Jack said.

Alison turned back to Jack and smiled. "Thank you." Alison cleared her throat. "So um, Jack, I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Well, I was just wondering…did today, you know, make you think of things?"

Jack looked at Alison with a confused expression. "Think of what things?"

"Well, you know. When people go to weddings, sometimes it makes them think of things. Like, you know…marriage and stuff. And I was just wondering if perhaps maybe thoughts like that had been crossing your mind."

Jack grinned. "Maybe."

"Maybe," Alison mocked lightly.

"What are you getting at, Ali?" Jack laughed.

Alison grinned. "What I'm getting at is that I know not so long ago, you were thinking of proposing to Livvie."

"Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Well I'm just saying that if you, you know, were to propose to Livvie, like sometime in the near future, well, there's a good possibility that she won't say no." Alison grinned. "Just something to think about."

Jamal walked over to Jack and Alison. "You mind if I cut?"

"Sure, man. Alison, do you really think so?"

"I really think so."

Jack smiled. "Hey, congratulations," he said and gave Alison a kiss on her cheek.

Jamal took Jack's place. "What was that all about?"

"I think Jack's thinking about proposing to Livvie."

"What? You're kidding."

"Well I said thinking about it. I kind of put the thought in his mind, gave him a little nudge to go for it. Who knows, maybe next year at this time, we'll be going to Jack and Livvie's wedding! And then maybe…" Alison trailed off.

"Maybe what?"

"You and Marissa seem really close. I've hardly seen you two leave the dance floor. What's up with that?" Alison teased.

"Yeah, yeah, we're close and all."

"How close?"

"We're close," Jamal said with a grin, and Alison could tell that he was going to leave it at that.

"Well I do like her. She's really nice."

"Alright, enough about me," Jamal said. "Let's talk about you."

"What about me?"

"What do you think, Spunky? You're married now! How does it feel?" Jamal laughed.

"It's great," Alison laughed.

"Well I'm happy for you. Hey um, I'm sorry your honeymoon didn't work out. I guess you'll have to go some other time, huh?"

"Oh no, we're still going."

"What? You're not really planning on going to Cancun now, are you?"

Alison laughed. "No, we're not going there. Change of plans. We're going to Hawaii."

"Hawaii?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Jamal laughed. "You two just up and decided to go to Hawaii? Just like that?"

"Well, sort of. I mean, it's not like we planned on it, but the opportunity came up so we took it." Alison looked across the room and saw Rafe motioning to her. "I think we're supposed to do something now," she laughed.

"Well...have a wonderful time in Hawaii. And congratulations." Jamal leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Alison smiled. "Thank you."

Alison rushed over to Rafe. "What's going on?"

"It's time to cut the cake."

"Ooo," Alison grinned.

As the cake ceremony was about to begin, the guests all gathered around to watch. Rafe and Alison took the knife and carefully cut the cake together. The photographer was standing nearby, capturing every moment. Finally, they newlyweds were ready to feed each other.

Rafe picked up a small piece of cake, and he selected a slice that was rather heavy on the frosting. He smiled wickedly.

Alison looked at Rafe with daggers in her eyes. _"Don't you dare,"_ the expression on her face said.

This just made Rafe laugh more. He took the cake and continued to tease her with the possibility that any moment now, that frosting would be all over her.

Alison braced herself as Rafe moved the cake closer and closer to her face. She closed her eyes tightly, opening her mouth but expecting the worse. And then, she was surprised. Rafe had only been teasing her. She opened her eyes and Rafe laughed at making her think he was going to smash the cake in her face.

Alison would get him back for doing that.

When it was her turn, she picked up another small piece of cake and gently fed it to Rafe. And then, with the excess frosting on her fingertips, she dabbed a bit on his cheek and began to laugh.

"Hey!"

Alison laughed harder.

"Two can play at that game!" Rafe said and smeared a little frosting on her nose.

"Oh my god!"

Rafe couldn't help but laugh. He then leaned forward and kissed off the frosting, and then kissed her lips.

~*~*~*~

Rafe saw Christina sitting in a chair against the wall all by herself. She just sat there silently, swinging her legs back and forth as she watched everyone dancing. Rafe walked over to her.

"Hey there, Princess. You having fun?"

Christina looked up at Rafe but didn't answer.

Rafe kneeled down on the floor. "Hey, what's the matter?"

"No one wants to dance with me."

"You know what? That's not true. As a matter of fact, the reason why I walked over here was because I was going to ask you if you wanted to dance."

Christina lit up. "Really?"

Rafe grinned. "Really. Would you like to dance, Princess?"

"Yeah!" Christina hopped out of the chair. But then, the smile on her face fell. "Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

Christina motioned for Rafe to come closer, and he kneeled down.

"I don't know how to dance," she whispered.

"You know what, Christina? I'll let you in on a little secret. I don't know how to dance either. I just pretend I know how. Come on, we'll go out there on the dance floor and pretend we know what we're doing."

Christina laughed and took Rafe's hand.

~*~*~*~

"Alison, there you are," Amanda said and walked over to her granddaughter. She gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Nana."

"Alison, I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. And I'm so happy for you, dear. You look wonderful."

Alison smiled. "Thank you, Nana."

"And your Rafe, he's such a wonderful young man. I think you two shall be very happy together."

"We are happy together."

"Well, this is your night, so you have fun." Amanda smiled and left to go mingle some more.

"How's your nana?" Livvie asked as she walked over to Alison.

"She's very happy for me, which I'm glad, because Nana's hard to please sometimes."

"You know, Ali, you can take your veil off. Formal pictures are over." Livvie laughed as the two of them walked over to the table to sit down for a while.

"I don't want to though, it's so pretty and cute! And this will be the only day I'll get to wear it," she explained.

Livvie laughed. "True."

Alison sighed and rested her chin on her hand. "This has been one of the most wonderful days of my life."

"I take it being a married woman feels pretty good?"

"It really does. I mean, I can't speak for every married woman, but I have to say…whatever I thought I would feel this day, well, it doesn't compare to how I actually feel now."

Livvie smiled. "Well I think being a married woman becomes you."

"Oh my gosh, look at that!" Alison laughed.

"What?"

"Look at Rafe." Alison pointed across the room. Rafe was on the dance floor with Christina. The child was standing on his toes. "Isn't that the cutest thing?" she squealed.

"Aww, that's adorable."

"Smile for the camera, ladies," the photographer said. The bride and her maid of honor smiled for the photographer. "That will make a wonderful picture," he winked.

"Oh, make sure you get one of my husband dancing with the flower girl," Alison laughed.

~*~*~*~

The DJ announced that it was time for the bouquet toss. All of the single ladies gathered in the center of the room and Alison smiled as she made her way to the front of the crowd with her bouquet.

"Are you all ready? Who wants to catch it?"

"Me! Me!" Christina chirped.

Alison laughed. "Livvie? Karen?" Alison waved the bouquet over her head and teased them. "Okay!" She slowly turned around.

Everyone counted. "1…2…3!"

Alison tossed the bouquet over her shoulder, then quickly turned around. "Who caught it? Who caught it?"

The crowd of single ladies dispersed, and in the middle stood Livvie with the bouquet.

The guests cheered for Livvie. Over to the side, Jamal laughed and patted his best friend on the shoulder.

Alison ran over to Livvie and hugged her. "I was hoping you would catch it," she whispered.

~*~*~*~

At this point, it was safe to say that just about everyone, mostly just the men, had been drinking a lot that evening. After all, it _was_ an open bar. So when the DJ announced that it was time for the garter toss, there was a little whistling. And when the DJ started to play some seductive music, Alison began to feel a little uneasy. "Oh dear," she mumbled.

Someone brought in a chair for Alison to sit on. She removed her shoes and looked at some of the single men ogling at her, and she felt a little warm.

Rafe walked towards her and kneeled down.

"Take it off with your teeth!" Chris yelled out.

"You better not embarrass me, Rafe Kovich," Alison warned.

Rafe laughed. He lifted her dress up, but was very discreet about it and didn't reveal too much skin. His hands found the garter around her leg and he slowly slipped it down past her knee. He recognized the garter. "I knew that garter felt familiar," Rafe laughed. Then he finished taking it off and tossed it behind him. Frank had caught it. Rafe never bothered to look and see who had caught it, as he was too busy kissing his bride again.

~*~*~*~

"Mom! Oh my god!" Serena ran over to her mother. "You should see what all of the guys did to that limo out there! They tied cans to the back of it! Then they put shaving cream and streamers all over it!"

"And balloons!" Christina added.

Lucy walked over to the window to take a look. "Yeah, I'll say the boys really did a number on it," she laughed.

"Why did they do that to the car, Mommy?" Christina asked.

"That's just what you do at weddings. It's a silly ole tradition."

Livvie walked over to them carrying a bowl of birdseed. "Well they've changed out of their wedding clothes so they're about ready to go. Did you get some of this?"

"Oh cool!" Serena said and grabbed a handful of birdseed.

Christina followed Serena's lead and grabbed a handful. "What's this?"

"It's birdseed. We're going to throw it at the bride and groom when they leave," Livvie explained to her.

Christina squealed in delight and grabbed some more birdseed.

~*~*~*~

The sun was setting, spreading a bright orange glow on the wet grass. Everyone lined up along the steps, paving a way in the middle for the bride and groom, leading to the car. They waited for a while, holding handfuls of birdseed to shower the newlyweds with. Christina kept throwing the birdseed on herself though and kept having to go back to the bowl for more.

"They're coming!" Livvie announced.

Rafe and Alison walked outside and stood at the top of the steps. After a few hugs and saying their goodbyes, they ran down the steps to the car through a shower of birdseed. They climbed into the back of the white limo and rolled down the window.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" Rafe called out.

"We love you!" Alison added.

The guests shouted goodbye to them, and then the white limo, decorated with cans, shaving cream, balloons, and a big sign that said 'Just Married!' on it, rolled off into the sunset.

 


	46. Chapter 46

originally posted 12-28-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

46

~*~*~*~

"Are you ready, Miss Barring-er, Mrs. Kovich?"

"Yes, Geoffrey," Alison replied.

Rafe rolled down the window. "Thanks for coming, everyone!"

Alison leaned over Rafe to look out at everyone waving goodbye to them. "We love you!"

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other as the limo began to move further away from the hotel until it was no longer in sight.

"I think we're alone now," Alison whispered.

"Almost," Rafe whispered back.

Alison pressed a button and the privacy divider went up. Geoffrey took a look at the rearview mirror and smiled.

"Now we're alone." Alison put her arms around Rafe and climbed into his lap. They kissed for a while.

Rafe then started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking of the look on your grandmother's face when she saw what they did to the limo. She turned white as a ghost."

Alison laughed. "She did, didn't she? That's okay, Geoffrey will make sure to bring the limo back in once piece. He'll clean it up."

"Champagne?" Rafe picked up a bottle from the bar.

"Yes, please."

Rafe poured champagne into two glasses and handed Alison one. "A toast?"

"How about a toast to us?"

"Okay, to us. To our marriage…and to our long and happy lives together."

"Our very long and happy lives together," Alison added and clinked her glass with Rafe's.

~*~*~*~

By the time Rafe and Alison had arrived at the cabin, it was already beginning to get dark. Geoffrey personally carried all of their luggage into the cabin, wished the newlyweds a wonderful honeymoon, and was then off on his way.

"Oh my gosh," Alison said as she took a look around the cabin. "It looks just how I remember it." Alison looked at Rafe and smiled.

Rafe walked over to his wife and kissed her on the forehead. "You know, there's something that I've been thinking about all day," he whispered into her ear and then softly nibbled on her earlobe.

Alison laughed and pulled away gently. "Wait, wait, wait. I have to do something first."

"Do what?"

"I have to make myself look beautiful for you."

"You're already beautiful."

"Yes, but just humor me, okay? It is our wedding night, after all." Alison gave him a quick kiss. "I'll be right back."

Alison picked up her little bag and glanced at Rafe over her shoulder and smiled before heading into the bathroom.

Rafe looked around at the cabin. He remembered the first time he and Alison were here…the first time they had made love. It was cold and snowy back then, but now it was nice and warm.

Rafe looked down and noticed a lighter on the counter. "Perfect." He smiled as he walked around the room and lit some candles. Soon, the room was glowing with soft candlelight.

In the bathroom, Alison quickly changed into a silky red negligee. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.

Rafe, after lighting every candle in the room, sat down and waited for Alison.

And waited.

He sighed.

He turned down the bed sheets to kill some time.

 _I'll be right back,_ Alison had said. Rafe knew that translated into ten or fifteen minutes, five if he was lucky. But finally, she emerged from the bathroom. Rafe stood up and gazed at the beauty before him. "You're so beautiful."

Alison blushed. "You lit candles."

"Yeah, I know how much you love them. Oh! I forgot something." Rafe quickly found the radio on the table and turned on some slow romantic music. "Is that good?"

"That's perfect."

Rafe, without saying a word, walked over to Alison again. His placed his hands on her face and brought her lips to his. Then with one swift movement, he moved his hands down her body and scooped her up, carrying her over to the bed and gently laying her down.

On the bed, they continued to kiss each other. Rafe ran his hands through Alison's silky mane of blonde hair and then buried his nose into the sweet smell as he kissed her neck, and then her shoulders. He loved the way her hair and skin smelled…like jasmine and rose. He loved the way her skin felt too. It was always so soft. He heard Alison moan softly, so he continued to kiss her.

Alison undid a few of the buttons on Rafe's shirt as her hands moved over his bare skin. Whenever Alison would touch his chest, Rafe would shiver. Alison loved it when he shivered. Finally, she slipped the shirt off and dropped it over to the side of the bed.

It was Rafe's turn. He reached for the silky material of her negligee and slipped it off gently. Realizing that only one more thing separated him from being with the woman he loved, Rafe was quick to shed his remaining clothing.

"Rafe…"

Rafe looked at the beautiful woman below him.

"I love you," she whispered.

"God I love you," Rafe said as he stroked her hair and reclaimed her lips once again…

~*~*~*~

Morning came. Rafe felt Alison's warm body snuggled up against him. Her back was facing him. Rafe laid there for a while, just holding her as her body continuously rose and fell. Her eyes were closed but moving rapidly under her eyelids. She was dreaming. Rafe touched her soft hair, then brushed his finger against her cheek. "My beautiful wife." And at last, he could not resist. Rafe leaned forward, first kissing her shoulders, then moving on to her ear.

"Wake up, beautiful."

Rafe's whispering tickled Alison's ear, and she slowly opened her eyes. "Mmm," she moaned.

"Good morning," Rafe said softly, giving her a kiss on her shoulder.

Alison gazed sleepily at Rafe. "Mmm?"

Rafe laughed gently. "You look so tired."

"That's because I am," she mumbled. "That was some night." Alison smiled and closed her eyes again.

"Yes, I know. Are you hungry?"

"No. I'm sleepy."

Rafe laughed again. "Okay, well you rest, angel. And when you wake up, I'll have breakfast waiting for you." Rafe gave Alison a quick kiss on her cheek and hopped out of bed.

"Mmm-hmm." Alison could hear Rafe getting out of bed and slipping on some clothes. All she could think about was sleep though. But then suddenly, her eyes snapped open.

Rafe…making breakfast? He would need some help.

"Sweetheart, I'm awake!" Alison jumped out of bed and grabbed her robe.

But the second she stood up, Rafe was already walking towards the bed carrying a tray of food.

"What's all this?" Alison began to wonder if maybe she had fallen asleep again and Rafe had been making breakfast this whole time.

"Looks like breakfast."

"Um, did I fall back asleep? Because you sure whipped that up pretty fast."

Rafe laughed. "Actually, funny thing, um, it was on the table…and your guess is as good as mine as to where it came from."

Rafe and Alison looked at each other. "Ed," they said in unison.

"Well I guess we should eat then, huh?"

Alison laughed. The two of them sat down to have breakfast in bed.

"Those strawberries look really good!" Alison mentioned.

"Well then you'll…" Rafe took a strawberry and dipped it in sugar. "…just have to taste it then, won't you?" Rafe fed the berry to Alison. "Come here," Rafe whispered and leaned forward to kiss Alison.

"I feel like the luckiest woman alive. I want every morning to be just like this one."

"It will."

Alison smiled.

"So what were you dreaming about?"

"Hmm?" Alison mumbled, having just bit into a big, juicy strawberry.

"You were sleeping pretty good this morning. I thought that maybe you were dreaming about something."

"Oh, well I was."

"Well?"

"I was dreaming of making love to you."

Rafe laughed. "Come on, what were you really dreaming about?"

"That was what I was really dreaming about!" Alison laughed. "I guess I couldn't help it…last night was just so wonderful that I was dreaming of it in my sleep."

"Is that so?" Rafe asked.

"Mmm-hmm."

Rafe laughed as he climbed over the crumpled bed sheets and kissed her sugary lips.

 


	47. Chapter 47

originally posted 12-28-02

Heaven Sent an Angel

47

~*~*~*~

After an insanely long flight that Rafe thought would _never_ end, Alison and Rafe finally made it to their destination…the island of Kauai in beautiful Hawaii. The locals called it the "Garden Island", and it was definitely very peaceful and tropical. The honeymoon was about to begin, and Alison had not stopped grinning since they had gotten off the plane.

"Oh my god! They really _do_ put flowers around your neck!" she squealed.

Somehow, Ed had managed to hook them up with a very nice and private cottage. Rafe opened the door and Alison rushed in, running in and out of the rooms as she explored.

"Oh my god! LOOK at this place! Look at this room!"

"Look at this bed!" Rafe said enthusiastically. Rafe literally dropped his bags, took off his shoes, pulled down the covers, and plopped himself down on the bed.

"And this bathroom! Wow! Lots of space in here!" Alison ran outside to the balcony. "Rafe…we HAVE a hot tub! Ooo, and oh my god, Rafe, this view is just incredible! Oh you can see the ocean from here. And mountains and tropical gardens and everything! Come over here and look! Rafe?"

Alison looked back into the cottage. Rafe was on the bed and apparently, already asleep. "Aww." Seeing Rafe sound asleep reminded Alison of how tired she was too. She yawned, then took off her shoes and quickly changed into something more comfortable. Alison slowly got onto the bed, being careful not to wake up Rafe. She pulled the covers up a little more on him and touched his face lightly. "My sweet husband." Alison gave Rafe a soft kiss, then put her head on the pillow and fell asleep almost immediately.

~*~*~*~

It took Rafe and Alison a long time to catch up on their sleep, but they finally managed to drag themselves out of bed the next day. There was so much to do here…swimming, hiking, boating, even horseback riding. Rafe and Alison couldn't decide what they wanted to do first, so instead, they just spent the first day relaxing. After all, they would be here a while, so no need to rush.

The two spent a good deal of time in the hot tub, which was very nice. After a late lunch, they took a walk around to explore. Kauai was incredibly beautiful. It was like their own tropical paradise complete with endless beaches, luscious gardens, and breathtaking waterfalls. Alison said it was like heaven on earth. Rafe said it was like that, but better.

~*~*~*~

Night came. Rafe and Alison, with a blanket and a small basket of food, took a walk down to the beach. They picked a sandy spot under a few small palm trees and exotic bushes.

"I am still in awe of how beautiful it is here," Alison said.

"I'm going to owe Ed so big one of these days," Rafe laughed. "What are you doing?"

Alison was standing next to the bush. She turned around and smiled, putting a flower in her hair. "Just picking this flower."

The moonlight was exceptionally bright tonight, and it showered Alison in a bluish-gray light. "It's hopeless."

Alison gave Rafe a confused expression. "What?"

"It's hopeless. I'll never be able to just look at you and not be affected the way I am right now."

Alison sat down on the blanket and moved closer to Rafe. "Oh really? What kind of effect do I have on you?"

"Well, I don't know, it's hard to explain. It's like I could do this…" Rafe leaned forward and kissed her lips. "And it's like, I can never get enough of it."

"Well I'm not going anywhere."

Rafe kissed her again. He started with her mouth and then moved on to her shoulders. He kissed the soft skin as he slowly slid the strap of her dress down.

"Rafe…" Alison interrupted.

"What?"

"I don't, um, I don't think we should do this here," she whispered.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"Um, it's in public, sweetheart."

Rafe laughed. "No it's not. Looks pretty private to me."

"Yes, but um, what if someone sees us?"

Rafe looked around the beach. "I don't see anyone around."

"Yes, but someone could walk by. And, Rafe, there's this sign that says no nude sunbathing, and well, I'm pretty sure that applies to other forms of nudity as well so…you know, it's _illegal_!"

Rafe laughed again. "Not if we don't get caught. And isn't that the fun of it anyway? Risking getting caught? And so what, if someone sees us, we'll get a fine. Big deal." Rafe took her hand and kissed it. "I want to make love to you on the beach, under the moon and stars." Rafe could tell he was getting to Alison.

"Rafe…"

"Look, if it bothers you that much, we don't have to, but you know, I really don't think anyone's around. I mean, look at this place. There's no one around for miles it seems. And plus, it's nighttime and no one's going to be swimming in the water at this hour…it's too dangerous."

Alison looked around the beach, contemplating the idea in her mind. "You really don't think anyone will show up?"

"Well this island is famous for having lots of secluded beaches, isn't it?"

Alison gave him a smile.

And Rafe knew he had her…

~*~*~*~

Things were quiet on the beach that night, save for the gentle sound of the water rushing to the shore and the occasional peals of laughter from behind the bushes. Rafe and Alison were wrapped up in the blanket together.

"You know, I think I had a fantasy about this once," Alison said.

Rafe propped himself up on his elbow. "What? A honeymoon in Hawaii?"

"Well, actually, I was going to say being naked on a secluded beach with a really sexy guy."

Rafe laughed and closed the distance between their lips.

Alison looked up. She saw thousands upon thousands of stars dotting the sky. "Those stars. Wow. It's so beautiful."

"Mmm-hmm," Rafe mumbled as he kissed Alison's cheek.

"I mean, look at them. They just go on forever and ever."

Rafe looked up at the stars. "Yeah, it's amazing. You know, if you look over there, you can see the star constellation Leo."

"What? Where?"

"Right there, look." Rafe pointed to the sky. "You see that group of stars right there? Looks like a lion."

Alison laughed. "I just see a bunch of stars! I'm not good with constellations. I don't even know where the Big Dipper is!"

"Oh, well that's easy to find. You see those four stars right there and how they sort of make a box? And then there are three stars coming out of it? You see that?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well that's the Big Dipper."

"Oh! Oh that's so cool! Well now I know where at least one constellation is."

"Actually, that's not really a constellation, it's just a group of stars. But it's part of a constellation. Ursa Major." Rafe looked at Alison, and she looked at him laughing. "What?"

"I didn't know you knew so much about stars, Rafe Kovich."

"Well I don't really. I just know a little bit."

Alison reached up and touched his face gently, then her eyes returned to the sky. "Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Heaven?"

Rafe laughed softly. "It's up there."

"I know it's 'up there', but exactly where up there?"

"Well you're looking at it right now. It's just not visible from here. And it's not visible to any mortal. But it's up there, among the stars. That's why Heaven's so bright with white light. It's because of all of the stars."

"Oh. Well um, what's it like? I mean, I know I asked you before but, tell me again."

"Heaven's heaven." Rafe laughed. "It's different for everyone, but I can honestly tell you that if I had a choice of going to Heaven now or staying on earth, I wouldn't want to go back. Being with you is better than anything they got up there."

Alison smiled.

"You know when people talk about love 'written in the stars' and like, 'a match made in heaven'," Rafe continued. "Well, yeah, they're talking about us."

Alison looked at Rafe and laughed. He laughed with her and held her close to him, kissing her lips.

 


	48. Chapter 48

originally posted 1-1-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

48

~*~*~*~

"Rafe," Alison mumbled in her sleep. She turned to face his side of the bed and stretched her arm out. Feeling an empty space, Alison opened her eyes. Rafe wasn't there. In the early light of the dawn, Alison squinted her eyes until her vision was no longer blurry, and she saw Rafe out on the balcony. He stood over the railing, looking out at the scenery below him.

Alison smiled and slowly got out of bed. She grabbed her robe and slipped it on, then walked out onto the balcony. "Hi," she said cheerfully as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. "Good morning."

Rafe looked at Alison and smiled. "Good morning." He gave his wife a quick morning kiss.

"What are you doing up so early? Come back to bed."

"I woke up and I couldn't fall back asleep. So I thought I would come out and watch the sun rise. God, it's so beautiful here."

"I know. And it's so peaceful and quiet."

"So, what do you want to do today? Anything you want."

Alison smiled. "How about we just hang out at the beach today?"

"All right."

"Yeah, I can work on my tan and perhaps you can take up a popular sport that Hawaiians love."

"What's that?"

"Surfing of course." Alison laughed.

Rafe laughed, and then gave her a very serious look. "I don't think so."

Alison laughed. "I'm tired. Come on, let's go back to bed."

"Okay."

Alison took Rafe's hand and together, they climbed back into bed. Alison snuggled up against him and Rafe pulled the thin blanket up on her a little more. Rafe gave her a kiss on the cheek and she fell asleep. Rafe wasn't sleepy, but he didn't mind spending the rest of the morning in bed with Alison.

~*~*~*~

A do-nothing day. That was exactly what Rafe and Alison needed. They had realized that trying to do too much in one day was too exhausting, so it was best to just take it easy. It was their honeymoon after all, and wasn't that a time to just relax anyway?

So they stayed on the beach. They built sandcastles. They walked on the beach. They got in the water. They collected shells. Basically, they did nothing.

On the beach, there was the most unusual palm tree. It was bent until it was literally almost horizontal, probably from a storm or years of windy erosion, and someone had the clever idea of putting a hammock to hang from the trunk.

On this lazy day, Rafe and Alison fell asleep in that hammock. It was in the shade, and they could feel a nice breeze from the ocean. Scents of salt and nearby tropical flowers wafted through the air.

This was heaven, Alison decided. She turned to look at Rafe who was still sleeping. His shirt was on, but unbuttoned. Alison ran her fingers along his bare chest, and Rafe woke up with a shiver. Alison smiled and kissed Rafe.

"How long have we been asleep?" Rafe said groggily.

"Don't know. Don't you just love afternoon naps?"

"You know I do if you're taking them with me."

"Hey, I was thinking…when you get to the point to where you're not so tired anymore, you wanna take a walk to go see that little waterfall again?"

"Sure."

One of the great things about the island of Kauai was that there was always something new to discover. The locals told them that it wasn't uncommon to find lots of secluded beaches, which Rafe and Alison took advantage of, or several small waterfalls that you couldn't even find on maps. You just had to know where to look. And on one of their walks through a tropical wooded area near their cottage, they had discovered a little waterfall.

The waterfall was hidden amidst several trees and exotic plants. It was secret, and this very fact seemed to have preserved its beauty. Water fell over a wall of smooth rocks about seven feet tall and cascaded into a small pool of water. Rafe and Alison had been here several times since they discovered it. The water was really nice for swimming in too…it was calm and tranquil, unlike the rough sea. It was quiet here too, with the exception of the sound of the water rushing down the rocks.

Alison walked over to the edge of the water and extended her hand, letting the water fall on her hand. "I wish we could stay here forever."

"I don't care where we stay, just as long as I'm with you," Rafe said.

~*~*~*~

Alison insisted that before they leave Hawaii, they _had_ to go to a luau. "Not going to a luau while you're in Hawaii would be like going to Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower!"

So one afternoon, the two went shopping for something to wear. Alison simply fell in love with a beautiful red sarong. It was a deep red color with a white flowery print. There was even a matching bikini to go with it, and Alison said she wished she could wear a cute outfit like this every day. As a joke, she tried to convince Rafe to wear a grass skirt to the luau. Rafe told her that she would just have to settle for him in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts.

Alison had been to parties with a luau theme before in high school, but this was the first time she was experiencing an authentic one. As they arrived, they were greeted by friendly islanders and given leis to wear. Alison even wore one on her head as well.

Rafe and Alison walked around, taking in the experience and checking out the open bar. Conch shells then sounded, signifying the lighting of the torches and the Imu ceremony. This was when the Kalua pig was unearthed from its underground oven.

After this, there was an incredible feast, and at sunset, the entertainment was about to begin. Rafe and Alison watched as the performers put on an incredible show of traditional Hawaiian dancing and music.

The two had been having such a wonderful time that by the time the luau came to an end, Rafe and Alison decided that they would have to go to another one before they left.

~*~*~*~

Ed hummed to himself as he got some work done at his desk. He reached over and picked up the framed portrait of himself with Rafe and Alison outside the church. He smiled, the events from that day still on his mind. "Hope you're enjoying the honeymoon, kids."

Ed suddenly heard some rapid knocking on his door and then saw Beth, his secretary, poke her head in the doorway. "Sir?"

"What is it, Beth?"

Beth walked over to him excitedly. She got excited over everything, and she drank too much coffee. "I just _have_ to tell you something!"

Ed sighed and rubbed his forehead. "This isn't about your cat again, is it? What did Mitzy do now?"

"Hmm? No, no, this isn't about Mitzy, although she did do something cute earlier! She was laying on her back with her paws in the air and…"

"Beth!"

"Hmm?"

"You wanted to tell me something?" Ed urged.

"Oh, I have some exciting news! Some news I think you might find very interesting…" she sang as she handed Ed a printed out sheet of paper.

Ed put on his reading glasses and took a look. It appeared to be some sort of list with several names on it. "Jimmy and Sue Kessler, Timothy and Sharon Kline, Mark and Lisa Kornegay…" he read random names from the list. "What is this? It's a bunch of names."

"I know that! But look who else is on the list? Oh I'll just show you!" Beth said impatiently. She grabbed a highlighter from Ed's desk, snatched the list out of his hand, and highlighted "Rafe and Alison Kovich". She handed the paper back to Ed.

"Rafe and Alison? Beth, what is this about?"

"Keep reading," Beth grinned widely.

Ed gave Beth a questioning look and glanced at the list again. A moment later, he smiled big and chuckled.

"See? I told you it was some exciting news!" Beth laughed.

Ed laughed. "Well how about that! Did you just find this out?"

"Mmm-hmm, literally just a few minutes ago! But they don't know yet, of course."

Ed chuckled again. "Well this _is_ exciting news!"

 


	49. Chapter 49

originally posted 1-25-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

49

~*~*~*~

Being back in Port Charles brought on a new feeling now that they were married. They weren't just back to their house…they were home. Neither one needed to say it to understand what they were feeling, but being back home was just the beginning of their wonderful life together.

The house was empty and quiet. The late afternoon sun brightened the living room, and an orange glow touched the gifts awaiting the newlyweds on the table and against the wall. Outside, Rafe and Alison laughed as they made their way to the door.

"Whoa! What are you doing?" Alison suddenly squealed.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm carrying you over the threshold."

"Oh yeah!" Alison laughed.

Rafe kicked the door open and carried his laughing bride inside, then kicked it again to close it.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Alison laughed. "What about our stuff?"

Rafe carried Alison over to the couch and laid her down, then lowered himself over her. "What about it?"

"We're just going to leave our luggage on the front step?"

"Sure, why not?" Rafe laughed. "We can always get it later." Rafe kissed Alison on the lips. "Besides, I kind of have other things on my mind at the moment, like things that newlyweds do."

Alison grinned. "Mmm, me too."

"Shall we take this into the bedroom, then?" Rafe hinted, then kissed her again.

"Oh, um, well I would love to but I actually had something else in mind that we could do first before we did that." Alison smiled.

Rafe gave her a confused look. "What could you possibility want to do more than _that_ right now?"

"Open our wedding gifts, of course!" Alison hopped off the couch and ran over to the table, overflowing with the various presents all wrapped in silver and white wrapping paper. "Look at all of these!" Alison squealed in delight and grabbed the biggest box she could find.

"Lucy must have brought these over after the reception."

"Well come on, let's open them!"

Rafe gave in and sat down on the floor beside Alison, picking up one of the presents. Rafe hadn't even begun to tear the paper on the present he was holding before Alison had already ripped hers off.

"What is it?"

"Wow! It's the comforter we picked out! Oh it's so nice!"

"Whose it from?"

"Um, I forgot to check," Alison laughed. "Aww, from Eve and Ian. That was nice. Ooo, what do you have?"

"Something fragile, I can tell."

"I bet it's our china set!"

"Yep, that's what it is. From your grandmother."

"I'm going to open this one next!" Alison grabbed another one and found all sorts of bath items. There were bath towels, hand towels, washcloths, all matching in color, of course, and tons of aromatherapy candles. Also hiding in the box were plenty of scented bath salts and bath beads. "We'll have to try this out later tonight," Alison grinned. "From Lucy and Kevin."

"I found some kitchen stuff," Rafe announced and showed Alison the blender and toaster that he had just uncovered.

"I feel like a kid on Christmas morning! All of these presents just for us! Although I never imagined I would be more excited over towels than a Malibu Barbie." Alison laughed. "Ooo, what's that one?" Alison pointed to one that had been hiding under the table.

Rafe picked it up and looked at the card on it. "This one's from Jamal and Marissa. Hmm, kinda heavy."

"Can I?" Alison begged.

Rafe looked into her pleading eyes, laughed, and handed it to her.

Alison ripped the paper and inspected the front of the box. "Oh my god!"

"What? What is it?"

"It's the Pasta Pro!" Alison screamed.

"What the heck is the Pasta Pro?"

"You know what it is!" Alison teased and showed him the box.

"Oh, oh yeah, I think I saw that on TV. Was that on our registry?"

Alison laughed again. "No, but Jamal says that I make more pasta than anyone he knows and when they came out with this a few months ago, he said he was getting it for me! I used to always make him hold the strainer over the sink while I poured out the noodles. He hated doing that! But look, it's a pot and a collander in one!"

"Well looks like Jamal wasn't the only one who was thinking of you cooking in the kitchen."

"More kitchen stuff?" Alison asked hopefully.

Rafe held up the gift from Livvie and Jack.

"A waffle iron!" Alison reached over and grabbed the box for closer inspection. "I can't wait to use this!"

"Me too," Rafe said with a smile, knowing that he would more than likely get a big breakfast in the morning.

When they had finally unwrapped every serving bowl, every pot and pan, every wine glass, every item of silverware, all of the bed linens, and the rest of the other countless things that were listed on their registry, the living room floor was littered with bows, ribbons, and paper with wedding bells on it.

"We should clean this up and put these gifts away," Alison suggested.

"Okay, while you're starting on that, I'm going to go get our stuff we left outside."

"Hey, sweetheart?"

"Yeah?"

"I just remembered, we haven't gone shopping yet and we really don't have anything else to eat for dinner except, well, there _is_ some pasta in the cabinet!" Alison laughed. "Would you mind terribly if we had that again?"

"I could always eat your pasta."

"Oh good! Now we can use our little Pasta Pro with the holes in the lid!" Alison grabbed the box, jumped up from the floor, and made a beeline to the kitchen.

"And make sure you put…"

"I know, I know. You like extra parmesan cheese on yours," Alison called back.

Rafe just stood there and smiled to himself. If this is what married life was like, he knew he was definitely going to enjoy it.

~*~*~*~

Jack licked his lips as Livvie placed a tray of goodies on the counter. "Ooo, what'd ya bake?"

"Marble frosted macadamia nut brownies. They're not as good as Alison's but…well try one. What do you think?"

"I think Alison taught you very well," Jack mumbled with a full mouth.

"Okay now don't eat all of them. I want to sell these."

"Aloha!" Alison sang as she walked into the bakery.

"Alison, you're back!" Livvie said excitedly.

"Alison, hey!"

"Hey you guys!" Alison ran over to Livvie and Jack and gave them hugs. "It's so good to see you! It feels like it's been forever!"

"Did you love Hawaii?" Livvie asked.

"Did you go to a luau?" Jack asked.

"Did you wear a grass skirt?"

"You didn't take home any lava rocks, did you? Cause that's bad luck, you know," Jack warned.

"Yes, yes, yes and no!" Alison laughed.

"Tell us ALL about it!" Livvie insisted, taking her best friend by the hand and ordering her to sit.

"Okay!" Alison laughed and pulled up chair. "Oh my god, you guys, you have NO IDEA how much fun we had! If you ever get the chance to go to Hawaii, you _seriously_ need to go!"

"What island did you stay on?" Jack asked.

"Kauai, and it's the most beautiful one! We went to some of the other islands and they were beautiful too but Kauai topped all! It has tons of beaches and waterfalls and tropical gardens and the deepest blue water you've ever seen, and it's not as crowded as Oahu or Maui. It was literally heaven on earth! Oh my god, you guys, we took a helicopter ride over the island one day and you would just not _believe_ how many waterfalls you could see!"

"What was the luau like? Did they really have one of those big pigs with the apple in its mouth?" Jack wondered.

Alison laughed. "Yeah, the works! There was music and dancing and it was really a lot of fun. And the food…let me just tell you, I don't think I've ever been that full in my life! Oh, I have something for you two!" Alison reached for the bags she had set down on the floor. "This one's for you and this one's for you." Alison gave Livvie and Jack each a bag.

Jack looked into his bag. "A Hawaiian shirt!" he said with a big smile. "Ali, I love it!"

"And that's an authentic Hawaiian shirt! I saw that in the store and I said to myself, 'That shirt has Jack Ramsey written all over it.'"

"Alison! Oh my god, this is beautiful!"

"You like it?"

Livvie pulled out a dark purple dress and held it against her. "Yes, I love it!"

"I almost bought it for myself but that is _so_ your color, so I got it for you instead."

"Thank you, Alison!"

"You're welcome. Oh, and I got something else for you too." Alison grinned as she handed Livvie another bag, and she watched Livvie's expression of surprise when she pulled out a grass skirt…coconut bra included.

"There's your Halloween costume, Livvie!" Jack laughed.

"Aww, Alison, you remembered!"

"I told you I'd buy you one!"

Jack's cell phone suddenly rang, and Jack answered it and talked for a moment. "Well ladies, I have a little errand to run so I'm gonna have to go. And you," he pointed to Alison, "You'll have to tell more about Hawaii later."

"I will."

Jack leaned over the counter and kissed Livvie on the cheek. "I'll see you at home."

"Bye, Jack."

"Aloha!" Alison laughed.

Jack stuffed one more brownie bite into his mouth and left the bakery.

Livvie turned to Alison and gave her a big grin. "Okay, now that Jack is gone…DETAILS!"

"Oh my god, Livvie! You have no idea how incredible it was!"

"Well then tell me!"

"We were staying at this cottage that overlooked the ocean. And right down a ways from there, there was this very beautiful and _very_ private beach. We made love there almost every night."

"Alison!"

"Well it was our honeymoon! And come on, how often do people really get a tropical beach all to themselves? We were taking advantage of it! And then, oh! Let me tell you about the waterfall we found! There was this really tropical and lush garden area nearby. We took a walk there one day and found this little waterfall. It wasn't too big but it was beautiful and there was a pool of water below it. It was as if we had found this hidden paradise on the island."

Livvie grinned knowingly. "Did you skinny-dip?"

Alison casually bit the nail on her thumb. "It would have been crazy not to. A few times, yeah." Alison looked at Livvie and laughed.

"Well it seems like you had the honeymoon you've always dreamed about."

"I sure did. It's kind of sad that it's over now, but not so sad because I know I'm with Rafe and that we're going to spend an incredible life together. So, enough about me for a minute, how have things been here?"

"Things have been great. We all missed you a lot, although we were admittedly envious of you too."

Alison laughed. "Thank you so much for holding down the fort here. I really hope it wasn't too much trouble to watch the bakery and all."

"No, not at all. I love it! And I think you've rubbed off on me a bit."

"I have?"

"I'm turning into a baking fool like you now. Try these!" Livvie held up the tray of her brownies and looked at Alison as if she were hoping for her bakery stamp of approval.

Alison picked up a brownie and gave it a taste. Alison simply nodded and grinned, and Livvie knew she had succeeded.

 


	50. Chapter 50

originally posted 2-14-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

50

~*~*~*~

After a week filled with writing thank-you note cards and retelling the story of their honeymoon over and over and over to everybody, Rafe and Alison finally got settled into their married life.

Rafe slid the closet door open and looked around, wondering what he should wear today. He picked out some pants and a shirt and tossed them on the bed. Then, he looked to the floor. Hiding in the back of the closet, his old boots caught his eye.

Ahh, his boots! How Rafe loved those boots!

Rafe hadn't worn them in a long time. Why, he wasn't quite sure, but he decided it was time to put an end to that. He picked up the black boots and moved them to the front of the closet. He would wear them today. He then grabbed his comb from the dresser and headed down the hall for a quick morning shower.

_Meanwhile…_

Alison walked into the bedroom and threw a Glamour magazine on the bed. And suddenly, something caught her eye. Alison took a step back and looked into the closet.

The boots were back.

Alison could hear the shower running down the hall, and she could see that Rafe had already set out some clothes to wear. But what were the boots doing in the front of the closet? "I thought I hid those!" But there they were, mysteriously back in the front again. Rafe had found them, and he was obviously planning on wearing them today.

"Not if I have anything to do about it," Alison said to herself.

Now Alison loved her husband dearly. She loved everything about him, his smile, his heart, his personality, everything. Well, except there was one thing about him that got on her nerves, and that was his taste in clothing. Actually, if truth be told, his clothing choices had improved lately, but that was probably because she had picked out most of them. But for some odd reason, Rafe would still occasionally wear something, like the boots, that she hated. Why Rafe loved to wear things like that, Alison had no idea.

Rafe was still in the shower, so she had a few minutes to do something about this little problem. She was not going to allow Rafe to wear those awful boots! Alison snatched them off the floor. Then, she looked through the clothes hanging up. Alison grabbed some of the shirts of Rafe's that she wasn't too crazy about.

She heard the water stop. She had to hurry. Running to the spare bedroom with an armload full of shirts she hated and the ugly boots, Alison quickly hung the clothes up in the closet. Then, she put the boots on the shelf and closed the door.

Alison raced back down the hall as she could hear Rafe stepping out of the shower. She jumped on the bed, grabbed her magazine, and was already reading an article by the time Rafe entered the room with wet hair and a towel around his waist.

Alison looked up from the magazine and smiled. "Good shower?"

"Oh yeah," Rafe grinned.

As Rafe began to get dressed, Alison pretended to read her horoscope. She watched Rafe from the corner of her eye, wondering when he would realize that the boots were gone.

After he put his shirt and pants on, Rafe headed to the dresser and got out a pair of socks. He sat on the edge of the bed to put those on. Then, he headed to the closet. Alison bit her lip and turned the page in the magazine.

Rafe looked down to the floor, and he was surprised when the boots were gone. Where did they go? Alison must have moved them, Rafe thought. He got down on his knees and looked in the back of the closet. But nope, not there. Where were they? And as Rafe stood up, he suddenly realized something. His side of the closet suddenly seemed a lot smaller than before. It was almost as if someone had TOOK his clothes. But who? Rafe looked over at his wife, sitting on the bed, wearing her light blue robe with her light blue slippers and her hair in a ponytail, looking so innocent while reading a Glamour magazine.

In his mind, he remembered talking with Kevin and Ian a while back, and their words of marital advice rang in his ears.

_"I bet you have some shirts that you really love but she's not too crazy about…if you want to keep them, then don't let her get her hands on them, because the first chance she gets, she'll give them away, or throw them away…"_

"Alison?"

Alison looked up innocently. "Yes, dear?"

"Have you seen my boots? You know, the black ones?"

"Oh, were you actually going to wear those today?"

"Well, yeah, that's sort of why I had them out."

"Oh. Well, sweetheart, I really didn't think you were planning on wearing boots at this time of year, I mean, it is July after all, and aren't those boots better suited for colder weather?"

"Well I want to wear them anyway. So where are they? And while we're on the subject, did you clean out the closet or something? It seems like I had a lot more clothes going in to the shower than coming out."

Alison stood up from the bed and walked over to Rafe. "Oh, yeah that. Yeah, I took a few of your things out, you know, clothes I didn't think you really wore that much. I put them in the spare bedroom closet, and I was thinking that maybe we could, you know, give them to goodwill or something? I'll go through my clothes too, I'm sure I've got some old things that I never wear anymore."

Rafe looked through his clothes, and a few noticeable favorites of his were missing. "Where's that brown shirt of mine? That's something I wear a lot."

"That old thing? Rafe, I hate to tell you, but I think that shirt's had it. But you know what?" Alison looked though his clothes and pulled out a shirt she happened to love. "Now this, this looks so much better on you. It brings out your eyes more." Alison held the shirt against Rafe's chest. "You should wear this one more often."

"I think I know what this is about."

"What are you talking about?"

"You hate some of my clothes, so you just got rid of the ones you didn't like, right?"

"No, it's not that I hate them, Rafe. I just think some shirts look more better than others. And you know how fashionable I am! Really, some of the shirts you had in there are a little out-of-style. You do like this shirt though, don't you? It looks very nice on you!"

"Well, I will admit, I do like the shirt, and okay, maybe some of things I had were out-of-style, but I still want to wear the boots today." Rafe walked out of the room and down the hallway.

"Wait, what you are doing?" Alison followed him into the spare bedroom.

Rafe opened the closet and took out the boots.

"You're not really wearing the boots today, are you?"

"I like the boots." Rafe, boots in hand, walked out of the room and back to the bedroom.

Alison walked back down the hall to the bedroom. "But, Rafe, what about these?" Alison took another pair of shoes out of the closet. "You wear these all of time. Why don't you wear these today? They look so much better with those pants and shirt."

"I'm wearing the boots. What's wrong with the boots, anyway?"

"Nothing's wrong, I just really think that these shoes look so much better with that outfit."

"Oh come on, Alison, just admit it. You hate the boots."

"I don't hate the boots, Rafe. I'm just saying that if you would wear these shoes instead, it would look a lot better and…"

"Alison…"

"Okay! I HATE THEM! There, I said it! I hate the boots!"

"Oh come on! Why do you hate them?" Rafe whined.

"Because, look at them!"

"What's wrong with the way they look?"

"I don't like it! They're too bulky and too big and they look stupid!"

"Why do you hate them so much?"

"I just told you. I don't like the way they look. What is it about them that you like so much, Rafe? Come on, give me three reasons why you like those boots so much."

"Okay, for one, they're comfortable."

"Okay, that's a good reason. What else?"

"Well, two, they're black, so they could go with just about anything."

"The color, yes, but not the style."

"And the third reason I like them is because-is because, well I just do! Okay? So I'm wearing them today!"

"I'm telling you, Rafe, those other shoes look so much better!"

"I think they look okay!"

"Fine! Wear the damn boots, Rafe! If it means SO MUCH to you, just wear the damn things! Look like an idiot for all I care!"

Rafe sat down on the bed, and he then started to laugh.

"What is so funny?"

"Alison, what are we fighting over?"

Alison sat down beside Rafe and started to laugh a little herself. "I guess it is kind of a stupid thing to argue about." Alison looked at Rafe and smiled. "I'm sorry, Rafe. Look, if you want to wear the boots, if they mean that much to you, then wear them. Really. I'm sorry."

"You know what, though? I think you're right. I think it's time to say goodbye to the boots."

"Okay, now you're just saying that because you know how I feel about them. Look, Rafe, I know you love them, so I want you to wear them."

"No, you're right, I do love them. But you know, I have had them for a long time, so I suppose they could be a little out-of-style."

"Rafe, you're just saying that."

"I'm not just saying that. Look, I think you're right, maybe I should invest in a new pair of boots, what do you think?"

"Could I help you pick them out?"

Rafe laughed. "Yes, you could help me pick out a new pair."

"Oh yay!" Alison leaned over and gave Rafe a kiss on the cheek. "We'll go shopping sometime this week and get you the best boots ever! Now, I'm going to go make some breakfast for us, okay?" Alison walked out of the room excitedly.

Rafe's attention turned to the boots on the floor. He picked one up and furrowed his brow. He still didn't see what Alison hated so much about them.

~*~*~*~

Rafe came home to find a sleeping Alison on the couch. A smile formed on his face as he walked over to her and sat down on the coffee table. He watched her for a few moments, and then she slowly began to awake.

Alison cracked her eyes open and smiled. "Hi."

"Hi. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up. I just love to watch you sleep."

"What time is it?"

"A little after four."

"Four? Ugh, I'm so tired!" Alison yawned and tried to get the sleep out of her by stretching her arms out. "I've been sleeping since 1:30."

Rafe touched her face gently. "I know, you've been tired a lot lately. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"Maybe I'm still on Hawaii time," Alison joked. "Where have you been? I heard you leave earlier."

"I've been out running a few errands."

"What errands?"

Rafe smiled. "Well I've been talking to Reverend Lovejoy a lot about you know, things I've been thinking about lately. I really want to be involved in the church somehow and to help people, and so Reverend Lovejoy suggested that I enroll in the lay ministry program. And I think that's what I'm going to do."

"Ooo, Rafe, that's wonderful. What do you have to do?"

"Well, there's some training involved, obviously. There will be some workshops and meetings and things I have to attend to. And I also enrolled in some religious study classes at PCU. So, what do ya think?"

"I think this is great! Oh, I'm so proud of you!" Alison laughed and gave Rafe a hug, then smiled at him. "This is what I've always wanted."

"What?" Rafe laughed.

"Just a nice, normal life. When I was growing up, people would always look at me and think about how much money my family had. And they would wish to trade places with me for one day, thinking it would make them happy. But the truth is, the money never really made me happy. But this, this does. I have my bakery, you're doing your ministry thing. This is normal, and it's all I ever really wanted."

"Well you'll have this normal life for a long time, I can promise you that."

Alison smiled, and Rafe brought her lips to his and gave her a long kiss.

 


	51. Chapter 51

originally posted 5-11-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

51

~*~*~*~

[3:31 a.m.]

Alison loathed waking up from a peaceful slumber. But out of all of the ways to wake up, this was definitely the worst. Alison tried to ignore it, wanting nothing more than to just fall back asleep. If she could just _sleep_ , she wouldn't feel the pain. Ignoring it, though, was next to impossible. It viciously swirled around and around in her stomach, and then slowly, crept up until she felt that familiar tingling sensation in her jaw.

 _NO_ Alison thought to herself. She refused to let it come to that. She swallowed a few times in an attempt to hold it back. Even though she knew she would probably feel a little bit better if she went ahead and did it, Alison really hoped there was an alternative.

Alison clutched her pillow tightly and once again, tried to block out that awful feeling in the pit of her stomach. She pulled her legs up to her stomach and hugged her knees, hoping for some kind of relief, but the ache wouldn't go away. Her skin was clammy, and Alison felt chills. Then hot. Then chills again. Her mouth was watery. Alison closed her eyes.

It couldn't be avoided any longer. Whatever it was…it had to come out. And as much as Alison hated doing it, she quickly got out of bed and ran down the hall to the bathroom.

Yeah, definitely not a pleasant way to wake up at three-thirty in the morning.

Rafe awoke, and he had to think for a moment if he was dreaming or not. He looked to Alison's side of the bed, and she wasn't there. Rafe got out of bed and walked to the bathroom. In the glow of the nightlight, he could see Alison sitting on the floor against the wall next to the toilet, her face buried in her knees. He rushed to her side. "Alison…you okay?"

Alison looked up and shook her head. "I threw up," she cried.

"Oh no. I'll get you some water, okay?"

She shook her head and Rafe left the room. Alison leaned over and pulled a Kleenex out of the box from the table. She wiped her eyes and face and gave her nose a good blow. She thought about how attractive she must look now as she sat on the bathroom floor next to the toilet with her hair all in disarray. Lovely.

Rafe came back with a glass of water, which Alison took gratefully. She hated that burning sensation in the back of her throat and that awful taste left behind in her mouth.

"Do you know what made you sick? Was it something you ate earlier?"

"I don't know. I just woke up and felt like I was going to throw up."

"Are you going to be sick again?"

Alison shook her head no and handed him the glass of water back.

Rafe moved some of her hair behind her ear. "Maybe you'll start to feel better now. Let's get you back to bed." Rafe picked up Alison and she buried her face into his neck. Alison thought about how good it felt to have someone take care of her.

When they got to the bedroom, Rafe put Alison down carefully and wrapped her up. "Need anything?"

"Can you just hold me?"

"Yeah, I can do that." And so Rafe climbed into bed and held Alison until she fell asleep again.

But Alison didn't sleep for too long. Around four-thirty, she found herself hugging the toilet again, only this time, Rafe was there to hold her hair back. She began to wonder if she was going to spend all night in the bathroom.

Alison insisted that she would be okay, but Rafe couldn't help but worry. He hated seeing her in misery and not being able to do anything about it. If he had his powers still, Rafe thought, he'd make her pain go away. As they lay in bed, Rafe looked up, wondering if Ed would give him a little assistance here, but Ed wasn't going to come through this time apparently.

Around six o'clock, Alison awoke once again and called out for Rafe.

Rafe had been half-asleep all night since Alison got sick. He opened his eyes and sat up. "How you feeling?"

"My stomach still feels upset, but I don't think I'm going to throw up anymore."

"Well that's a good sign. Can I get you anything? Some water? Something to eat?"

"Hmm, maybe some ginger ale…and some cinnamon graham crackers. That always helps me when I feel queasy. I hope we still have some."

"I'll go check, and if we don't have it, I'll go buy more." Rafe gave Alison a little kiss on her forehead, then headed out the room. He came back with a smile on his face, announcing that it was the last package in the box. Alison ate a little bit, and when she felt like she had enough, she fell back asleep in Rafe's arms.

When Alison awoke for the fourth time that morning, she noticed something in her hands. She looked down and saw one perfect pink rose.

Rafe looked away from the book he was reading when he saw Alison move. He had been waiting all morning for her to wake up. "Hey, how you feeling?"

Alison turned around with a smile on her face. "Better."

"Oh good," Rafe said, relieved. "You had me really worried there for a while. Don't scare me like that again."

Alison laughed. "When did you get this for me?" she asked, holding up the rose.

"I went to the store when you were sleeping and bought you some more graham crackers and ginger ale, just in case we ran out and you wanted some more. And there was a flower stand there so I bought it."

"I love it."

"Do you feel like eating anything?

"Hmm, well, maybe like, some toast? With butter."

"Okay, I can handle that," Rafe said with a smile.

"And could you…"

"Cut it into triangles?"

Alison nodded.

"Sure."

"And don't burn it like last time."

Rafe laughed. "I won't burn it. Now don't you move from that bed. You need to rest." Rafe pointed a finger to her and then headed to the kitchen.

When Rafe returned, he saw Alison up on her feet walking around the room. "Hey, I thought I told you to stay in bed."

"I had to use the bathroom," Alison said defensively.

"Oh. Well…that's okay. But don't get up for anything else."

"Rafe, I feel fine," Alison said, crawling back under the covers.

"I know, and we want to make sure you stay that way. That's why you need to rest and take it easy."

"But Rafe…"

"Alison."

Alison sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll rest."

"Good."

"But I feel fine," Alison repeated.

"Here's your toast," Rafe said, changing the subject.

Alison smiled. "Thank you."

"Listen, if you're feeling all right then…"

"I am."

"I'm going to go run some errands then, okay?"

"Okay."

"But I still want you to take it easy. And if you need anything, call me."

"Okay."

Rafe smiled. "Bye. I love you." He kissed her cheek.

"Bye, I love you too."

"And don't get out of that bed!" Rafe hollered back.

It didn't take long for Alison to finish off the toast. Then, with Rafe not around to order her to rest, she hopped out of bed and headed for the shower.

~*~*~*~

"What are you doing here?" Livvie demanded. "Alison, go home."

"What?"

"Rafe told me you were sick, and he also said you would try to sneak out of the house while he was gone. You really shouldn't be here working. I can handle things."

"Oh, Livvie, Rafe just exaggerates. I'm fine. Really! Look at me."

"Alison, you sure? I mean it's not even a busy day. Look, only half of the blueberry muffins have been sold."

"Livvie," Alison said, taking her friend lightly by the shoulders, "I'm okay!"

"Okay, if you say so," Livvie said.

~*~*~*~

"You went to the bakery, didn't you?" Rafe asked as soon as Alison walked into the door.

"Rafe, we're not going to start this again, are we?" Alison walked over to Rafe. "Look, if I felt bad, I wouldn't have gone to work. I promise you, I feel much better."

"All right. Come here." Rafe pulled Alison in for a welcome home kiss. "I am glad you feel better."

"Well you did such a good job taking care of me. So, what do you want to do for dinner?"

"How about dinner and a movie?"

"You want to go watch a movie tonight?"

"No, bring the movie here. How about I go pick us up some takeout from the Recovery Room and then rent a movie?"

"Okay, I like that idea. Can you get me a chicken sandwich and some fries?"

"Sure. I'll be back in a little while then."

"Okay."

"Oh, by the way, you have a message on the machine."

"Oh, thanks. Drive safe."

Rafe gave her one more kiss for goodbye and headed out the door.

Alison walked over to the phone and pushed the play button.

"Hi, Alison, this is Becky from Natural Body and Health Spa. I'm just calling you to remind you of your massage scheduled for 2:30 tomorrow afternoon. If you can't make the appointment, just let us know…555-8734. Looking forward to seeing you, Alison! Bye!"

"Tomorrow?" Alison said to herself in confusion. "It's not for tomorrow. That's next week." Alison walked over to the calendar on the wall just to be sure. But to her surprise, Becky was right. "Hmm, well I guess apparently, it already is next week. It is tomorrow. How did I miss that?"

Alison shrugged her shoulders. She never really was good at keeping track of dates, even when she wrote things down. And as Alison continued to stare at the calendar in front of her, wondering how in the world this past week went by so fast, she got the feeling that something was a little peculiar.

 ~*~*~*~

Rafe had rented two movies. One more of a romance, which he knew Alison loved, and the other one a comedy, but also with romance. Alison opted for the second one for them to watch first.

Rafe smiled as Alison walked into the room carrying a big bowl of popcorn. This made Rafe very excited. The smell of the popcorn wafting from the kitchen had been driving him insane.

"Here you go," Alison said with a smile.

"Great," Rafe said and took the bowl, grabbing a fistful of popcorn.

"I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"Just going to run to the bathroom."

"But the movie's about to start," Rafe whined.

"But I gotta pee!" Alison laughed. "I'm only missing the previews. I'll be real quick."

"Okay well if it starts before you get back, I'll pause it," Rafe said with a serious look on his face as he held up the remote.

"You better save some popcorn for me," Alison called out as she ran out of the room. Rafe grabbed another handful of popcorn and stuffed it in his mouth. He didn't want to be greedy but it was so good, he couldn't help himself. He smiled. This was a great idea. Just a night alone watching a movie with his wife. Life was so good.

"I'm back!" Alison said cheerfully and sat down beside him.

"Wow, that really was quick," Rafe laughed.

"I told you. Oh, good, I'm just in time. The movie is starting. Hey, popcorn-hogger."

"What?"

"Give me some."

Rafe took the bowl and held it over his head, teasing Alison.

"Rafe!" Alison laughed.

Rafe laughed and handed the bowl over to her.

Alison curled up against Rafe, and he put his arm around her.

And as the movie played, and Rafe had almost finished the bowl of popcorn off, Alison smiled to herself.

 


	52. Chapter 52

originally posted 5-23-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

52

~*~*~*~

"Good morning," Alison whispered into Rafe's ear. He slowly opened his eyes.

"Mmm-hmm," he said groggily and started to fall asleep again.

Alison began to kiss Rafe. That woke him up.

Alison laughed. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"This is fine," he mumbled.

"I mean to eat."

"Surprise me." Rafe closed his eyes again.

Alison kissed him once more. "Love you."

Rafe rolled over and contemplated getting up. He could hear Alison humming from the other room. He decided that if she was already up and about, he might as well be too. What was Alison doing up anyway? It was a rarity that she was up before him.

If truth be told, Alison simply couldn't sleep. All through the night, her mind had been racing with the possibility of it all. Could it be true? Alison couldn't be sure, but it seemed as if all of the signs were there. She had been tired, she had been emotional, and she had been sick. Yes, she had definitely been sick.

Luckily, she hadn't had any more episodes like the one from yesterday with the nausea. Although in hindsight, she realized that lately, there were several times when she wasn't feeling so great. Even this morning, she did feel a little sickness, although certainly not as severe as the last time. Alison decided not to say anything about it. It would just worry Rafe and it would eventually pass. And perhaps it wasn't anything to worry about at all. Perhaps it was all normal, that is, if what she thought was true was the case.

In the meantime, Alison couldn't help but get a little excited about it all. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but it was hard not to think about it.

"Something smells good. What's for breakfast?" Rafe asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"I'm making blueberry waffles. Your favorite."

"Excellent," Rafe said as he gave his wife a kiss and then sat down at the table. He casually picked up the newspaper laying on the chair and took a sip of the juice Alison had set out for him. Rafe paused for a moment, thinking about this situation, and laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking about the many ways in which marriage has changed me. I never read the paper at the table over breakfast until I was married. I think I'm turning into my father."

"Well just don't turn into my father and we'll be okay." Alison laughed at her joke, but Rafe never found anything amusing about Alison's lowlife father.

"Well, here you go!" Alison said cheerfully, handing him a plate.

Rafe took the food graciously and began to eat. Alison nibbled at her food though, taking small bites and eating rather slowly. She often looked up from her food and would smile at Rafe.

Rafe smiled back, then returned to his paper.

But after a while, he glanced at her again, then quickly returned to his paper when Alison caught his gaze. He could see her out of the corner of his eye though. She was still smiling at him! Finally, he had to say something.

"Alison, what is it?"

"What?"

"Well I can't help but notice that you're acting pretty strange this morning."

"What are you talking about?"

"The humming, the smiling…what's going on?"

"I'm just happy, Rafe."

"Yes, I can see that, but what's made you so happy?"

"You of course! I'm just so happy because I was thinking about how wonderful it is to be married to you. Married life has changed me too you know. I don't think I've ever felt so alive. Every day spent with you is a blessing to me. Hey, don't you have a meeting with Reverend Lovejoy in a little while?"

"You're trying to change the subject," Rafe teased.

"Am not! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"There's something that you're not telling me."

Alison shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, you're right though, I do need to go." Rafe got up from the table and pushed his chair under. "I'll be back later." He leaned down and kissed his wife. "Love you. Thanks for breakfast."

"Love you, too."

Rafe gave his wife one more strange look, then left the house.

Alison got up from the table and walked over to the window. She carefully peeped through the blinds, and the moment Rafe had finally pulled out of the driveway, she made a mad dash for the phone.

"Come on, Livvie! Pick up!"

"Hello?" Livvie answered.

"Livvie! Hey, it's me!"

"Alison? What's going on?"

"Livvie…I think I might be pregnant!"

~*~*~*~

Alison heard Livvie's car drive up and she opened the door before Livvie even had a chance to knock. "Hey, I'm so glad you're here."

"I got here as fast as I could. This is so exciting! I went the pharmacy and bought the pregnancy test for you."

"Thanks, Livvie. But you really didn't have to..."

"But don't you want to know right now? I mean come on, the suspense is killing me so I can only imagine what it's like for you!"

"Yeah, I do want to know."

"Okay then." Livvie handed her the test.

Alison took the box and inspected it closely.

"What's wrong?"

"What if it's not accurate? I mean, sometimes these things give out false positives and negatives, you know?"

Livvie pointed to the box. "It says right there on the box, 99% accurate."

"Well there's still that one percent!"

"Stop worrying! Look, I asked the pharmacist and she said it was the most reliable one. And, Ali, come on, you've been sick and tired, and not to mention the fact that you haven't had your period in while."

"My periods are always sort of irregular, Livvie! I mean, this could very well turn out to be nothing at all."

"But you've never been this late before, have you?"

"I don't think so..."

"Don't you keep track of this?"

"Well, I'm a newlywed. I guess I had other things on my mind."

Livvie nodded her head in agreement. "Yeah, that's obvious...which is probably why we're having this conversation in the first place."

"Livvie, I'm serious. I'm starting to think that I'm just jumping to conclusions. Maybe I should wait a while, you know? I mean, knowing me, I'll probably get my period tomorrow morning and then we'll just laugh about this later."

"Yeah, but don't you want to be sure? I mean, come on, it's not going to hurt taking the test. It'll either say you're pregnant or you're not, and then we'll know. So?"

Alison took a deep breath. "Okay, I'll take the test."

~*~*~*~

Livvie watched as Alison paced back and forth, waiting for that stupid timer to ding.

"Alison, relax."

Alison gave Livvie a stern look.

"Okay, I guess if I were you I'd be pacing too."

"I'm sorry, Livvie. I tend to pace when I'm nervous."

"You're really hoping for this to be positive, aren't you?"

"I really am, Livvie. Ever since yesterday, it's all I've been able to think about. Rafe and I having a child together...that's such a huge thing! I think it's something I've always wanted...for us to be married and to start a family. And if that test is negative...it'll just make me feel so—”

_Ding_

Alison stopped her pacing and looked towards the bathroom.

"Alison?"

Alison bit her nails nervously. "I guess I um…I should go…I should go see what it says." Alison walked to the bathroom, but then turned around. "I can't do it! Livvie, will you?"

"I'll go check." Livvie got up from the couch and walked into the bathroom.

Alison stood outside the door, biting her nails some more. "Well? Livvie, what does it say?" she asked impatiently.

Livvie walked out of the room and said nothing. She wasn't smiling or frowning, but rather, her face was void of emotion.

"Livvie?"

"I'm sorry, Alison."

"What?" Alison felt her heart drop.

"I'm sorry, Alison. It looks like you're never going to get a decent night's sleep again because...you'll be too busy taking care of your baby!"

"AHH!" Alison screamed and hugged Livvie. "Livvie! Don't you ever scare me like that again!"

Livvie laughed. "I couldn't resist."

"Wait! Are you sure it's positive? Did you read the test right?"

"Two lines, clear as day. You're pregnant, Ali!"

"Oh my god!" Alison hugged Livvie again.

"Congratulations, sweetie."

"Oh god, I can't believe this! Oh my god…I'm pregnant! I--I have to tell Rafe! Right now!"

"All right," Livvie laughed.

Livvie opened the door and Alison grabbed her things. Then suddenly, she stopped.

"Alison? You okay?"

Alison smiled. "Yeah. Yeah I am. It just hit me, right then. I'm going to be a mom, Livvie."

Livvie smiled at Alison and put her arm around her shoulder. "And you'll make wonderful mom."

~*~*~*~

Rafe had been having a quiet conversation with the reverend in the church when suddenly…

"RAFE!"Alison's voice reverberated throughout the entire church. Rafe, the reverend, and a few people who were there all looked at Alison. "Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry! I'm so sorry!" Alison looked up. "Sorry," she mumbled.

Rafe rushed up the aisle and over to her.

"I'm sorry, Rafe."

"What's wrong?"

"I didn't mean to like, yell out in church like that. I didn't know it would be so loud." Alison looked up again. "Sorry about that."

"Alison, what's wrong?" Rafe repeated.

"Nothing."

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine! I just…I just couldn't wait to tell you!"

"Tell me what?"

"Um…Rafe…um," Alison hesitated, looking for the right words.

"What?" Rafe asked impatiently.

"We're going to have a baby."

Rafe's eyes widened in shock. Definitely not what he expected Alison to say. "What?"

"I'm pregnant, Rafe."

"You're…I'm…and we're…" Rafe stuttered.

Alison shook her head excitedly.

"Alison!" Rafe picked up Alison and gave her a tight hug and a little spin. He then turned around to look at all the curious eyes watching them. "We're going to have a baby!" he announced to them.

"We're going to have a baby," Rafe whispered to Alison.

Alison smiled at Rafe, and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"We're going to have a baby," Rafe repeated, then pulled Alison towards him and gave her a good long kiss.

 


	53. Chapter 53

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think Lucy's house really has a deck and sliding glass door, but it does in my story, because I think it should! :-)

originally posted 7-11-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

53

~*~*~*~

Alison was quite amused by the expression on Rafe's face as they sat outside the church on a bench under the shade of some trees. He looked so cute…thinking of a million things at once, smiling at her, not knowing quite what to say or how to express the excitement he was feeling.

Finally when he found the words, the questions came out all at once.

"When did you find out? How did you find out? Have you gone to the doctor yet? Is this why you've been feeling so sick and tired lately?"

Alison laughed and looked into the eyes of the man she loved. She felt his hand hold on tighter to hers. She smiled, not knowing what question to answer first. "I found out this morning. I took a test. I suspected I was pregnant since yesterday, although I probably should have picked up the clues a little sooner. I didn't want to tell you until I was sure."

"So this is really happening?" Rafe's eyes gleamed with happiness. "Because I've dreamed of this moment for a such a long time."

Without words, Alison moved Rafe's hand over her belly. She watched the expression on his face, like a child on Christmas morning who had finally gotten the toy that had been sitting in the shop's window, calling his name.

"We made a baby, Rafe," she said softly.

Rafe smiled at Alison, silently thinking to himself that he had no idea how wonderful this morning would be when he had woke up hours before. He softly touched the bottom of Alison's chin and smiled as he brought her lips closer to his.

~*~*~*~

Rafe watched Alison sleep on the couch, mesmerized by her. All day long, he kept thinking of the news.

He was going to be a father.

The child he had so often longed to have, the child he had always wished to share with the woman he loved, would be here by spring. Thinking of it made Rafe feel excited all over again, and he would have probably sat there watching Alison sleep for the rest of the night had it not been for the stifling feeling in the house. Rafe walked over to the sliding glass door and opened it, letting a cool breeze blow in. He stepped out onto the deck and looked up at the sky. The sun was just now setting, and it would be dark soon.

Inside, Alison stirred awake and saw Rafe outside. She felt bad that the two of them really hadn't seemed to celebrate much today, but she couldn't help that she felt so tired all the time.

Alison got up from the couch and walked over to the door, stepping outside. "Hi," she said sweetly as she wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"Hey." Rafe turned around to give Alison a kiss. "Sleep good?"

"Yeah." Alison walked to the railing and looked up. "It's so pretty out here."

"Let's sit," Rafe said, taking her hand and leading her to the porch swing. "You feeling alright?"

"Mmm-hmm." Alison smiled as she turned to meet Rafe's gaze, then his lips. "Oh, I know what we need." Alison got up from the swing.

"Where you going?"

"I'll be right back. Stay here." Alison glanced at him once more as she made her way back into the house, leaving Rafe alone with his thoughts.

Alison returned a few minutes later, carrying a bowl of juicy, deep-red strawberries. "I thought it was time we did a little celebrating," she said.

Alison joined Rafe back on the swing and picked the biggest strawberry she could find. "Open," she laughed, and then proceeded to feed the berry to Rafe. Alison laughed as a little juice ran down his chin. She wiped it off with her finger and licked the juice off.

"These are really good," Rafe said, taking a smaller one and putting it in his mouth.

"I know, aren't they?"

"So I've been thinking some while I've been out here."

"Oh yeah?" Alison smiled. "About what?"

"Right there," Rafe announced as he pointed to a spot in the backyard next to a small tree. "That's where I'm building the swing set for the baby…when she gets a little older, of course."

"She?" Alison teased, loving that he had already decided what he wanted.

"Yeah. I can see her already. She looks just like her mother - long blonde hair, blue eyes. And she laughs just like her mother too." Rafe smiled to himself, lost in his own thoughts of the future.

"You know what I see?"

"What?"

"I see a little boy with your smile, and your eyes. But he'll have my hair."

Rafe laughed. "We'll have both. We'll have a houseful of kids."

"Well just as long as they don't come all at once. I'm still adjusting to the idea of giving birth to one!"

Rafe kissed Alison on the forehead and turned his gaze to the setting sun.

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"I've been thinking about something too."

"About what?"

"Tell me, are you okay with this happening now?"

Rafe, confused, gave Alison a look. "Alison, what do you mean? I'm thrilled this has happened. There's nothing that I want more than to spend my life with you and have a family."

"I know that. What I meant was…Rafe, we didn't exactly plan this. It was going to be just us for a while, you know, and then we were going to start on a family. But this just happened. And even though I know we're both excited about the baby, it's not something either of us had expected, at least not right now, and…"

"Shh," Rafe said, putting his finger on her lips to silence her. "Alison, let me just tell you something. Sometimes the things that we least expect turn out to be the most wonderful things that ever happen to us. I remember one day, I met this beautiful woman. Actually, I literally ran into her."

A smile formed on Alison's lips.

"I could tell right away that this woman wasn't just beautiful on the outside. She was beautiful on the inside too. She had a loving heart and a warm smile. But you see, here's the thing. I started to fall in love with her. Now normally, that would be okay, but it was sorta against the rules under the circumstances, and I was in town for a very important reason and falling in love with someone was the last thing I had planned for. But then I found out that she had feelings for me too. So after that, I started to believe that maybe us being together wasn't such a bad thing after all. And even though neither of us planned on falling in love, it couldn't have been more right."

"I'm so glad to hear you say that."

"How about you? Are you okay with this?"

"It's unexpected but…I couldn't be more excited. We're having a baby, Rafe!"

"I think it's time the two of us really did some celebrating. You know that red dress you have?"

"Yeah."

Rafe grinned. "Well that's my favorite. Why don't you go put it on?"

Alison lit up. "Are we going somewhere?"

"Let's just say I have something special planned for tonight."

"Alright." Alison gave Rafe one more kiss before hopping up and heading back inside the house.

Rafe knew it would take Alison a while to get dressed. Sure, just putting on a dress would only take a minute or two, but Rafe knew Alison all too well. If she was going to put on a nice dress, then she would have to do something to her hair. And if she did something to her hair, then she would have to put on makeup. And if she was wearing a nice dress and had fixed her hair and put on makeup, she would have to wear jewelry. And of course, what look would be complete without the perfect pair of shoes?

Rafe thought Alison was beautiful no matter what. Her habit of taking eons to get ready was rather endearing, and something he often liked to tease her about. Other times, Rafe wished Alison would just forget the accessories and get a move on, especially when he was hungry and she was making them late for their dinner reservations. But tonight, he was counting on Alison to take her precious time, because boy did he ever have a surprise for her!

Dinner. Rafe had never cooked dinner before. Sure, he had boiled some noodles in a pot and heated things in the microwave, but that didn't count. Tonight, Rafe was going to be the one to prepare the meal. And tonight, as they celebrated, it couldn't have been a more perfect occasion.

The only thing he had to do now was to make sure he didn't screw this up and that the food was edible.

In the kitchen, Rafe quickly gathered everything he needed…Campbell's cream of celery, Dijon mustard, vegetable oil, pepper, chicken breast halves, rice, vegetables, and a pan. Following the directions on the recipe, Rafe added the oil and the chicken. While that was heating, he quickly got the rest of the ingredients together and added them as well. Then, he worked on the salad…salad was always an easy thing to make. Then, he heated up some bread and made sure there was plenty of butter. By the time Rafe was making the final preparations for everything, the food was done!

Rafe planned on having dinner inside, but since it was such a beautiful night, he opted for on the deck. Rafe quickly tossed a tablecloth on the table outside, then set out some candles and a vase holding one perfect pink rose to set the mood. Rafe set the food on the table, and since champagne was out of the question tonight, he settled for two glasses and a pitcher of ice cold lemonade. It was summer anyway, and what drink was better than lemonade on a warm summer night?

Rafe looked at the table and grinned in self-satisfaction. It looked pretty good if he did say so himself. In fact, he was so proud of himself that he had almost forgotten the eating utensils!

As Rafe went back into the house to fetch the silverware, he passed the CD player along the way back. Rafe browsed through the collections of CDs, trying to find one that was perfect for tonight. He eventually settled on the one that he knew always put Alison in a romantic mood.

"Alison!" he called out.

"Just a second!"

Rafe turned the music on and headed back outside to wait for Alison.

Alison looked around the living room and realized Rafe was out on the deck. "Rafe?" Alison looked at Rafe with a puzzled expression. "What's this?"

"I um…I made dinner."

"You made this!"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"How did you…"

"How did I learn? Well, through observation. I like to watch you."

Alison laughed.

"Come on, sit down." Rafe pulled out the chair for Alison and pushed her closer to the table. "Now I'm not making any promises, and it's probably not all that good, but well…I won't be offended if you don't like it."

Alison smiled at Rafe. "What brought all of this on?"

"Well, I just figured that why should you be the one to cook all the time? I don't mind helping out, even if I can't cook all that great but I'm certainly willing to learn. And too, when the baby comes, I don't want dinner to be something else you have to worry about."

"You are so amazing. Okay, I have to try this." Alison took a bite and carefully chewed, leaving Rafe on the edge of his seat.

"Well? Is it bad? Good? Well how is it?"

Alison didn't answer, but then sampled the other things on her plate. She loved teasing Rafe, taking her time to answer his questions. She then smiled. "I guess I must have taught you rather well, Rafe Kovich."

Rafe grinned from ear to ear. "So it's edible?"

Alison laughed. "It's wonderful."

"This is great! I'm so glad you like it. I was worried the chicken or the vegetables wouldn't taste right."

Alison smiled and laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just love you so much. You're so sweet. Oh and Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"Your cooking skills…I see a lot of potential. Remind me that you'll have to have lots more lessons in the kitchen."

"Well if you're the teacher, I'd definitely be willing to learn."

After dinner, Rafe rose from the chair and offered his hand to Alison. "May I have this dance?"

"Yes, you may," Alison said sweetly and gave her hand to Rafe.

Rafe held her close to him, gently rocking them side to side. Alison lifted her face, reading Rafe's mind as he gave her a kiss.

"You know, I've been thinking about something you said earlier," Rafe said.

"What?"

"Well, you know you said you thought you and I would have more time to be just us, you know, before we started on a family?"

"Yeah, but looks like heaven has another plan for us."

"Well you know, nine months, when you really think about it…that's actually a long time."

"Sweetheart, I have to tell you…I'm probably already a month along. We have eight short months."

"Eight months? Nah, that'll take forever to get here. Doesn't Christmas feel like a long time away?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Well the baby's going to be here long after that."

"Oh, well, okay, I guess it is a while away then. Which is good because we have a lot of things we have to do. I mean we have to set up the nursery and buy baby furniture and toys and ooo, maybe Livvie will throw me a baby shower!"

"There's also something else we'll have to do."

"What?"

"Well, when the baby comes, we're not going to have a lot of time to do much of anything, except take care of the baby. The baby's going to take all of our attention. We'll have to feed her and change her and play with her…you know. So it might be a while before we can really be together. You know, have some alone time?"

"Yeah."

Rafe grinned. "So I propose that we make the most of these nine, er, eight months."

"And um, how do you propose that we do that, Mr. Kovich?"

"Well, we could start by doing this…" Rafe held Alison's hands to his lips and gave them a gentle kiss. "And this…" He kissed her neck. "And this…" Rafe then made a trail of kisses…starting on her cheek and ending at her lips. And suddenly, Rafe scooped her up into his arms. He walked over to the table, bending slightly so Alison could blow out the candles. Alison's attention returned to Rafe, who carried her back into the house, and then, to the bedroom.

Rafe sat Alison down on the bed and joined her, holding her face, kissing her neck, kissing her face, kissing every place his lips hadn't touched yet.

Alison closed her eyes, letting her senses drown in Rafe's kisses. And then, she thought…why should she be the only one having the pleasure? Alison grinned as she leaned forward and kissed Rafe's special spot on his neck…the spot that she knew elicited a moan every time. Then with shaky fingers, dizzy from the assault of Rafe's kisses, fumbled for the buttons on his shirt. She put her hand in his shirt and ran her fingers down his chest. Rafe shivered, like he always did when Alison touched that place on his chest.

Two could play at this game, Rafe thought to himself as he reached for the zipper at the back of Alison's dress. He carefully slid it down, then let the straps fall to her arms. Rafe's mouth left her neck, then over to her shoulders, and then her chest.

Alison couldn't stand it anymore! Grabbing hold of Rafe's shirt, she undid the last remaining buttons quite forcefully and slid the shirt off him. She tossed it carelessly across the room.

For a brief moment, they made eye contact. Alison grinned at Rafe, reaching down for the zipper on his pants and pulling it down. Alison grinned again, knowing Rafe couldn't stand it much longer either.

Rafe took hold of Alison's dress and slid it off her. Underneath, she wore a matching set of underwear, all in silk.

Rafe stood up from the bed, shedding himself of his remaining clothing. Alison smiled at Rafe, waiting for him to make the next move. He sat back down on the bed and began to kiss her again.

"There's a problem," he whispered into her ear.

"What?" Alison said, not understanding what he was talking about.

"You're a little overdressed."

Alison laughed, and Rafe reached behind her back and snapped the bra off the little hook. He had gotten better with that.

Alison leaned back, letting Rafe continue to kiss her, patiently waiting for him to remove the final barrier between them. His hands slowly reached for the silky material, and within seconds, literally, it was on the floor.

With every kiss, Rafe made Alison moan a little more. He knew exactly what Alison wanted him to do right now, but he decided he would torment her for a bit, make her wait until she couldn't stand it anymore and would beg him. He loved to do that.

"Rafe," Alison said rather impatiently.

But Rafe was too busy inhaling her jasmine and rose scented hair. He kissed her neck again, then made a trail of kisses going down.

"Raaafe..."

And in this moment, it hit Rafe all over again. He kissed her belly, and thoughts returned to the child, his and Alison's, that was growing inside of her. He kissed it again tenderly, making a silent promise to himself that this child and the woman he loved would always be safe.

Alison smiled, loving that Rafe was thrilled of his impending fatherhood, but at the moment, she wanted his full attention. Alison put her hands on his face, gently guiding him back to her lips.

Rafe looked into her eyes, smiling at the beautiful woman below him. And at last, Rafe himself couldn't stand it anymore, and Alison was screaming silently at him. So he gave into it, not wanting to fight it a second longer.

 


	54. Chapter 54

originally posted 9-21-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

54

~*~*~*~ 

She lay in bed, asleep…so peaceful. Rafe was overwhelmed with emotion. God, she was beautiful. Rafe had to kiss her. He gave her cheek a gentle kiss, just lightly brushing her soft skin. Rafe wanted to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her awake, but it was early, and he knew Alison would KILL him if she didn't get her full 8+ hours. And with the way her hormones were lately…he wasn't going to risk the wrath of a sleep-deprived Alison.

Rafe moved his hand over her stomach, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his palm. It excited him beyond words to think that there was a life growing inside of her…a life that he and Alison had actually _made_. The way life worked amazed Rafe.

Rafe realized that he could easily watch her sleep all morning, but then he'd be here until noon and he really had some things he wanted to get done. So he smiled at her, gave her one more kiss, then quietly got out of bed.

~*~*~*~ 

Alison opened her eyes, realizing it was morning already. She frowned as she noticed Rafe was already up and about. Of course he would be. He was always up before her.

Alison rolled over to her other side, and then cursed herself for moving too quickly. She reached for her crackers on the nightstand and ate a few to ease her unsettled stomach.

"Oh good, you're awake," Rafe said as he walked into the bedroom. Rafe sat on the bed and leaned forward to give Alison a kiss. "Good morning, Angel."

"Good morning," Alison said softly, then yawned. "How can you be up so early?"

"Alison, it's eleven o'clock." Rafe laughed.

"Well it feels like it's seven."

"Why don't you go back to sleep if you're still tired? You need your rest."

"No, I'm already up."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm just going to lay here for a little while and eat these before I get up." Alison held up her crackers.

"Do you feel like eating breakfast?"

"Yeah, I think so."

Rafe smiled. "Good, because I cooked up a little something."

"You made breakfast?" Alison looked cautious.

"Hey, you do remember who made that incredible dinner last night, don't you?"

Alison smiled. "Yes, I do."

"Well if you thought dinner was great, you just wait. You're in for a surprise. You rest, okay?"

Rafe kissed Alison once more and left the room.

Alison smiled. She loved that Rafe was so willing to make her happy by learning how to cook.

Rafe walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face. He had never thought of himself as one who loved to cook, but being married to Alison, the baking fool, was apparently rubbing off on him. He thought back to last night when Alison had been pleasantly surprised that he had cooked dinner. When he had woke up earlier that morning, Rafe decided that he would surprise Alison with breakfast.

Sausage, scrambled eggs, and bacon seemed like a good place to start. After a few failed attempts, first with the sausage being burned and the bacon too crispy, and then dropping the scrambled eggs on the floor which broke a glass bowl and having to start all over, Rafe had finally made a breakfast he was proud of. Well, it could never be as good as when Alison made it, but it wasn't too bad in Rafe's opinion.

Rafe fixed a plate for Alison and poured a glass of orange juice for her. He then reached for the food tray on the top of the refrigerator and put everything on it. He carefully carried it to the bedroom, not wanting to spill it after all of that hard work.

Alison sat up slowly in the bed and smiled at Rafe. "I can't believe you made me breakfast. You're so sweet. So what's for breakfast?"

Rafe put the tray in her lap, smiling as she saw his creation. "Some of your favorites…sausage, scrambled eggs, and bacon."

"Oh," Alison said, hiding her disappointment as the sight and smell of what was on her plate suddenly made her stomach do flip-flops. "This looks great…" she said, hoping Rafe couldn't read her mind. It honestly did look like a good meal, but the thought of eating all of a sudden made Alison very nauseous.

But Alison had no choice. She had to eat it. He had gone through all of this trouble to learn how to cook. How could she ruin that boyish grin on his face as he waited excitedly for her to taste it?

Alison decided to go for the bacon first. It didn't look too threatening. She picked up a slice and took a smile bite. Not bad…but the greasiness made her stomach churn. She then tasted some of the sausage. Noticing that Rafe was watching her every move, she smiled at him as she chewed and chewed and chewed, desperately trying to swallow the rubbery sausage. Alison skipped her eggs and picked up another bacon slice. The eggs, she decided, were to be avoided at all costs. Just the smell of them was enough to make her run to the bathroom.

"You didn't taste the eggs yet."

 _Damn._ Alison looked down at the yellow blob on her plate, feeling the acid creep up her throat. _Just eat the damn things! He's gone through all this trouble to make them._

Alison laughed nervously, then took her fork and picked up a small bite. A very tiny bite. But knowing that Rafe was watching her, she reluctantly put a little more on the fork, and Rafe smiled.

Alison felt her mouth water excessively as the eggs came closer and closer to her. God, she could see them in the toilet already! Alison finally shoved the eggs inside and proceeded to chew, every bite making her stomach more and more unsettled. She took another bite of eggs…Rafe was still watching her, and waiting for an answer.

"Well, what do you think?" Rafe asked nervously, noticing the strange expression on Alison's face. Not quite the expression he was expecting. It couldn't be terrible could it? He had tasted all of it, and it was fine!

"I think…I think…"

"Yeah?"

"I think I'm going to throw up!" With that, Alison covered her mouth, jumped off the bed, and ran out of the room and down the hallway, slamming the bathroom door. Rafe winced as he heard the sounds that were becoming all too familiar to him. He looked down at the tray of half-eaten food and picked it up. It was obvious that breakfast was over.

Rafe walked to the bathroom door and waited. He hated seeing Alison sick. When things were quiet, he knocked on the door gently. "Alison? Are you okay?"

"Um…I'm fine! Just give me a few minutes."

Rafe went to the kitchen and began to clean up things. He felt horrible. He wouldn't have felt too bad if Alison had said his breakfast cooking skills still needed some improvement, but to have actually made her sick? Well, now that was _much_ worse!

After a while, Rafe had finally got the kitchen in order. All the spills were wiped off. The dirty dishes were in the dishwasher. And the disaster that was breakfast was thrown away.

"I'm sorry about breakfast."

Rafe turned around to find Alison standing in the doorway, looking a little better than she had a few minutes ago.

"No, no, I'm sorry about it. Are you okay?" Rafe walked over to Alison and hugged her, feeling so bad that she was feeling bad and that he was the cause of it all. "I didn't mean to make you sick."

Alison pulled away and looked up at Rafe. "No, you didn't. Breakfast was fine. It's just me. I'm sick this morning."

"Here, sit down." Rafe pulled out a chair for Alison. He sat down at the table with her and rubbed her neck, hoping to help her feel better.

"I was reading this magazine article, and Rafe, it said the morning sickness is only going to get worse. Worse, Rafe! And some woman are unfortunate enough to have it the entire time. What am I going to do if I'm one of those women? I can't run my bakery if I'm sick all the time!"

"Shh, it's okay." Rafe took her hands in his. "I'm sure this won't last more than a few weeks. You'll be fine. And I'll be here to take care of you. I'm not going anywhere." Whatever Rafe was saying, it appeared to be working, because Alison was smiling. But he still felt helpless. He just wanted Alison to feel better. "Is there anything I can get you?"

Alison shook her head. "I'm fine. But I'll let you know. I love you."

"I love you." Rafe kissed her hands, feeling reassured that Alison was alright now.

~*~*~*~ 

Later that afternoon, Alison was feeling much better, which was a very good thing considering she wanted to be feeling well for her first doctor's appointment.

Alison laid on the exam table in a blue hospital gown, waiting for Dr. Meadows. Rafe sat beside her holding her hand.

Alison turned to Rafe and smiled. "I'm glad you're here."

"You know I wouldn't miss this."

Rafe and Alison started to kiss, but the sound of talking outside interrupted them. They looked towards the door as Dr. Meadows walked in. She seemed very no-nonsense and straight to business.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Hello, Alison."

"Hi, Dr. Meadows."

"And you must be the father?" Dr. Meadows turned towards Rafe.

"Yes. Rafe Kovich."

"Well it's good to have both here. This your first child?"

"Yes, it's our first," Alison said.

"Well, this must be an exciting time for you." Dr. Meadows smiled.

"It is." Rafe smiled at Alison and gave her hand a little squeeze.

~*~*~*~ 

It was confirmed. Alison was already in her eight week and according to Dr. Meadows, in very good health.

"Do either of you have any questions or concerns?"

"Morning sickness! It's going to go away, right?" Alison asked hopefully.

"Well, generally it may last from 12-16 weeks, but that's not a guarantee. With some women it lasts longer or even the entire pregnancy. But most of my patients say it does eventually subside, at least until the second trimester. Don't skip any meals, okay? And it's best to eat several smaller meals throughout the day, that way your stomach's never empty. Keep some snacks by your bedside. Eat in the middle of the night if you have to. Let me know if really becomes unbearable. Anything else?"

Rafe and Alison shook their heads no.

"All right then. I'll see you at our next visit. Just see the secretary to schedule your next appointment and make sure you take those prenatal vitamins."

"I will."

"It was nice meeting you both." Dr. Meadows smiled and walked out the door.

Alison smiled at Rafe. "It's really happening."

"I can't wait until the baby's born."

"I can't wait to tell everyone!" Alison said excitedly.

"Lucy will be ecstatic."

"Nana's going to be thrilled!"

Rafe raised his eyebrow. "Even if we've only been married for a couple of months?"

"Oh, all Nana cares about is whether or not it's in wedlock," Alison laughed.

"Well, shall we go?"

"Yeah. I'm getting kind of hungry."

"Recovery Room?" Rafe suggested.

"Yeah, all of these prenatal tests have worn me out and made me work up an appetite. I could really go for some fries…and a grilled chicken sandwich right about now. But a plain one...just chicken and bread."

"No lettuce? No tomato?"

"Nothing, just chicken and bread. Well, and maybe some ketchup."

 _The strange cravings are already starting_ Rafe thought to himself as he took Alison's hand and walked out of the doctor's office.

~*~*~*~ 

Alison examined herself in the full-length mirror. She frowned. She didn't see a glow. She didn't even look pregnant! Alison turned to her side, smoothing her shirt over her flat stomach. She tried to imagine herself with a pregnant belly.

Alison looked to the bed and smiled, spotting a small pillow. Just what she needed! Alison grabbed the pillow from the bed and carefully stuffed it under her shirt. She smoothed her shirt again and looked at herself in the mirror sideways.

There, that was more like it. Alison put her hands over the pillow, imagining she was feeling the baby move inside of her. She turned to look at herself from the front, then from the other side, putting her hands on her hips, then back to her belly.

Rafe tried not to laugh…honestly he tried. But when Alison started to touch the pillow lovingly, he lost it!

"Rafe!" Alison yelled, angry and embarrassed she had been caught. She reached for the pillow under her shirt and threw it at Rafe, hitting him in the head.

Rafe caught the pillow and laughed again. "What were you doing, Alison?" Rafe teased.

"Stop, okay? I was just curious to see how I would look."

"Well I could have told you that," Rafe said, walking up from behind her and wrapping his arms around her. "You'll look beautiful, as you always do." Rafe gave her cheek a little kiss.

Alison turned around and faced Rafe. "Even if my face gets really puffy and I get really huge?"

Rafe laughed again. "Don't you know…you're the most beautiful woman in the whole world to me, and I couldn't think of anything more beautiful than you carrying our child."

Alison smiled, and Rafe put his hands around her face and gave her a kiss.

 


	55. Chapter 55

originally posted 11-28-03

Heaven Sent an Angel

55

~*~*~*~

"That'll be $3.75." Alison took the four dollars the customer handed to her and gave the lady back her change. "Thank you, have a nice day." Alison looked down momentarily as the next customer stepped up in line.

"Hi, can I help…oh hey, Lucy!" Alison walked from behind the counter and the women hugged each other. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's so good to see you too," Lucy said with a smile. "I feel like I never see you anymore."

"Well Rafe and I…"

"Oh, please, you don't have to give me excuses. You're a newlywed. It’s to be expected that you have other things on your mind." Lucy grinned.

"How are Kevin and the girls?"

"They're fine. The girls start school next week. I enrolled Christina in this half-day preschool and she's all excited about that because she wants to go to school just like her big sister."

"That's so cute."

"And Serena's going to be in seventh grade this year, can you believe that? Seventh grade! I'm not ready for my little pumpkin head to be in middle school yet! That's two years away from high school!"

"They grow up fast, huh?"

"Not just fast, Alison...more like a blink of an eye. When you and Rafe have children, you'll see."

Alison smiled, her thoughts once again returning to the child she carried inside of her. She didn't want to tell Lucy yet…not without Rafe.

"Well, speaking of the girls, they wanted me to stop by here after work and bring home some of your delicious chocolate chip cookies."

"Great, how many?"

"Just put in a dozen. I have another reason for dropping by here as well."

"Oh yeah?"

"You and Rafe doing anything Sunday afternoon?"

"I don't think we had anything planned. Why, what's going on?"

"Well, I decided to have a Labor Day party! I know it's short notice, but I thought it would be good to have a little get-together with family and friends one last time before summer ends."

"That's sounds like a great idea! Rafe and I wouldn't miss it!"

"Okay, great! See you around three then?"

"We'll be there. Here are your cookies. It's $4.80."

Lucy handed her five dollars. "Keep the change," she winked.

"Thank you. Well…see you Sunday!"

"Ta!"

Alison looked up at the clock, suddenly realizing how late it was getting. It was just about time to close up and go home.

~*~*~*~

The moment Alison pulled into the driveway, she got the strangest feeling. Rafe's car was there, but the house looked pretty dark. Alison got her things out of the car and walked up to the door. "Rafe?" She called out as she stepped inside the house. There was no answer. Alison switched the lights on. "Rafe?" she called out again, louder, but he still didn't answer. Why wasn't he answering?

And just when Alison was starting to get a little worried, she looked down and smiled. Rose petals. They were all over the floor. A trail of them actually, and they led towards the hall. Alison laughed to herself. "What are you up to, Rafe?" she said softly to herself.

Alison played along, following the trail of pink petals to the hallway. And just as she had suspected, the trail continued past the doorway to the bedroom.

Candles were lit and soft music was playing in the background. "Rafe?" Alison called out seductively. She didn't see him.

"I thought you'd never get home," Rafe said, surprising her from behind as he brushed a pink rose across her cheek.

Alison took the rose and turned around, beaming.

"Welcome home," Rafe said, closing the distance between them with a kiss.

"What is all this?"

"I have to have a reason to surprise my wife with a spontaneous romantic evening?"

"No." Alison laughed and wrapped her arms around Rafe, kissing him again.

In one swift movement, Rafe scooped Alison up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down gently and began undoing the buttons of her blouse.

"I wouldn't mind coming home like this every day."

"I'll make a mental note of that." Rafe opened her shirt and leaned down, kissing her chest.

Alison put her hands on his face, gently leading him back to her lips. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm breath against her cheek, then her neck. She slid her hands into the opening of his shirt. Her hands roamed over his chest. She could feel his heartbeat. It was beating just as fast as hers. "Your heart's beating like crazy."

"You see what you do to me?" Rafe said with a smile.

Alison sat up slowly, taking his shirt in her hands and gently sliding it off his shoulders. She kept her eyes on Rafe as he did the same to her. They continued this game, taking turns to remove the clothing until finally, there was nothing left.

"Alison?" Rafe whispered.

"Hmm?"

"Did I tell you today how much I love you?"

"You do every day."

"Well it's even more than yesterday."

Alison laughed, sinking into the pillows as Rafe closed the distance between them with a kiss.

~*~*~*~

Rafe held Alison close to him, kissing her. Alison sighed, feeling completely happy.

"This really was a nice way to come home," she said.

"Well good, that was the point," Rafe said as he moved on to her neck and kissed the soft skin there.

Alison turned to lay on her back. She closed her eyes as Rafe kissed her lips, then opened them as she gave Rafe a smile.

There it was, Rafe thought, that beautiful smile. It seemed as if he was always asking himself how did he get so lucky. How in the world was he so fortunate enough that God had decided to let him love this beautiful woman? He couldn't imagine anyone feeling more luckier than him! And now they were having a baby, which made everything seem even more wonderful.

"What are you thinking about?" Alison asked.

"I was thinking of you. And the baby. I'm so excited, Alison." Rafe rested his hand on her belly. "It's just so amazing. There's this life growing inside of you. Our child. It's unbelievable. I mean to think at one time in our lives, we never thought this was possible. We didn't even think it was possible for us to just be together but…here were are. And now in a few months, we're going to have this little person crawling around."

Alison loved to hear him talk about the baby. His eyes shined with happiness. He was going to be such a great father. "I know, it's pretty incredible. I'm telling my nana tomorrow."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm-hmm. I invited her over for tea."

"She'll be excited."

"She will. I must warn you though. Nana will try to stick her nose into everything. I wouldn't be surprised if by this time next week, she'll already have the baby on some waiting list for a toddler ballet or tap dance class."

"We should tell Lucy about the baby soon," he said, changing the subject.

"Oh, I meant to tell you, I saw Lucy this afternoon."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmm-hmm. She was getting some cookies for the girls. We'll be seeing her on Sunday by the way. She invited us to her Labor Day party and I told her we'd be there."

"A Labor Day party, huh?" Rafe laughed. "Well my cousin is always one for get-togethers. That should be fun."

The thought of a party made Rafe think about food, and thinking about food made him suddenly realize that he was very hungry.

Alison looked at him and laughed. "Was that your stomach growling?"

Rafe laughed. "Yeah."

Alison laughed. "How about I go cook us up some dinner? I'm getting a little hungry myself."

"Need some help?"

"No, no, you just rest. I have to pay you back for that nice surprise you gave me when I got home." Alison gave Rafe a kiss, then wrapped herself up with the bed sheet and got out of bed.

Rafe laid back down and picked up the pink rose he had given Alison. He brought it to his nose and smelled it. He smiled as he thought about how happy he was.

~*~*~*~

"Hi, Nana!"

"Hello, Alison," Amanda said, giving her granddaughter a hug.

"Come on in." Alison showed her grandmother in and closed the door.

"This was such a lovely idea you had, Alison. We should have tea together more often." Amanda sat down, making herself at home.

"Yeah, I would like that. Here you go, Nana." Alison handed her a cup of tea.

"Thank you, darling. So, how are you? I haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm good."

"So where's Rafe? Will he be joining us?"

"Oh, no, he's at the church right now. But he says hello."

"Is he treating you right?"

Alison was surprised by the question, but then remembered she was talking to Nana, who questioned every dating choice she made in high school. "Nana, he's so good to me. He loves me more than anything in the world, and he never forgets to tell me that every day."

Amanda smiled, pleased that her granddaughter had finally found a man suitable enough for her. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. You know, I bet you and Rafe would have enjoyed that Mediterranean cruise."

"Oh yeah, how was that?"

"It was beautiful…"

Alison could have kicked herself. She had to ask about her grandmother's latest trip to Europe. Even though she loved hearing about how beautiful the Mediterranean was, Nana had a tendency to go on and on about the social lives of all of the acquaintances she'd met up with in Europe. People she would never know, or never remember. But Alison nodded her head and smiled, waiting for the right moment to tell Nana her big news. She almost couldn't stand it! Alison played with the ring on her finger, hoping Nana would wrap things up so she could get a word in.

"You'll really have to take one of those cruises sometime. I think you and Rafe would enjoy it."

"Yeah, we'll have to do that." Finally, Alison thought. "Speaking of Rafe and I though, Nana, I have some exciting news."

"What's that, dear?" Amanda smiled.

"Nana, how would you feel like being a great nana?"

"A what?" Amanda asked, confused.

Alison laughed. Her choice of words could have probably been better. "Nana, what I meant to say was…I'm pregnant."

Amanda's face lit up. "You're expecting?"

Alison nodded.

"Alison, that's wonderful news!" Amanda embraced her granddaughter, smiling at the thought of it all. A great-grandchild! "When's the baby due?"

"Sometime in April. We haven't told a lot of people yet though."

"Well when you do, I can't wait to tell everyone that my granddaughter is expecting! How does Rafe feel about all of this?"

"Oh, Nana, he couldn't be more thrilled. He's so excited about it all. I think he's hoping for a girl."

"Well I couldn't be more happier for you two. But what will you do with your living arrangements?"

"What do you mean?"

"This house. A bit small once you start a family, don't you think?"

"It's not small, Nana. There are three bedrooms! And there's a fenced in backyard. It's perfect." Of course Amanda would question house size when she was used to living in a mansion.

"Which room are you going to keep the nursery?"

"We were thinking about the spare bedroom across the hall from our bedroom. It's closer and—”

"Oh no, you can't use that one. It's too small. Use the bigger one. Babies need a lot so you'll need the space. Think about it. There’s the crib, the rocking chair, the changing table. And not to mention all of the toys."

Alison hated to admit it, but her grandmother did have a point. Perhaps they should use the other room for the nursery. "Well, I'm sure we'll take care of all that before long."

"Wyndham's. We should go take a look there. Maybe next weekend. They have some darling nursery sets. Martha's niece Pamela works there! I'm sure she could help you pick out a wonderful set."

"Well that would nice…"

"A nanny! You have to have a nanny! You'll need to start looking for one now…"

Alison smiled and nodded along, knowing this would be exactly how she would react. Oh dear, she thought to herself, wondering how Lucy would take the news. Yes, Nana would insist on buying all of the furniture...Lucy would insist on all of the decorating.

 


	56. Chapter 56

originally posted 1-27-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

56

~*~*~*~

Rafe turned the car off and looked over at Alison. "Alison, are you sure…"

"Yes, Rafe! For the last time, I feel fine! And I have been feeling fine for the last few hours. Stop worrying!" Alison loved how Rafe was always looking out for her, but to get this worked up over a little morning sickness, which had ended well over three hours ago? She could only imagine how he would react when she was going through labor pains.

"I'm sorry. I just can't help…"

Alison put her hand over Rafe's. "I know, and I love you for that. But really, I'm fine. Now let's go."

Rafe smiled. "All right." He leaned forward, giving her a kiss, then stepped out of the car.

"Oh good, you're both here!" Lucy said, walking over to them.

"Hey cousin." Rafe greeted Lucy with a kiss on the cheek. "We'd never miss your Labor Day party!"

"Hi, Lucy!" Alison said cheerfully, giving her a hug, then holding up a plate of cupcakes that she had baked. "I brought these for the party!"

"Oh look at you! That's so sweet of you! But you really didn't have to go through all that trouble."

"It wasn't any trouble…I wanted to. They're fresh-baked!"

"Well those will be gone in no time I'm sure. Well come on to the back, that's where the party's at. You two just go ahead and mingle. I've got to check on the rest of the food!" Lucy scurried off into the house.

Rafe and Alison made their way to the back of the lighthouse where most of their friends had already arrived. Music was playing, and it looked like there was plenty to eat.

The moment Christina saw them, she came running towards them. "Rafe!" She grabbed Rafe's hand, surprising him at how hard such a small girl could pull him. "Come play with me!" she begged.

Rafe looked at Alison, then down to Christina. "Can we play in a little while, Princess? Right now I'm going to go sit down with Alison."

Disappointment fell over the child's face.

"Oh Rafe, go play! Besides, there's Livvie over there. I want to go talk to her."

"Alison, are you sure that…"

"Rafe, we're not going over this again. Now go!"

"All right."

"Come on!" Christina said, pulling Rafe away.

Alison laughed, thinking once again about how great of a father Rafe would be in a few months. Alison put her cupcakes on the table along with the rest of the food, then headed over to where Livvie was, sitting by herself on the porch.

"Livvie! Hey!"

"Alison." Livvie stood up, hugging Alison. "I'm so glad you made it. I was wondering when you would get here."

"Sorry we're late. What are you doing over here by yourself?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just relaxing. So how are you? How's the baby doing?" she asked excitedly.

"We're good. Rafe's a mess though. He almost wouldn't let me come to the party because I was sick this morning."

"You feeling better now?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. But Rafe, you know, the constant worrier."

"He just loves you."

"I know. He can't help it."

Livvie sighed, taking a sip of lemonade and resting her head on her hand as she leaned against the arm of the chair.

Alison looked over at Livvie. She could tell that something wasn't quite right. "Livvie? Is something wrong?"

"Men," she said angrily.

"Oh, that doesn't sound good. You and Jack have a fight or something?"

"No, we didn't have a fight. But I am mad at him."

"What happened?"

"Well it all started when Jack took me to the PC Grille last night. He made such a big deal about it too, saying that he wanted us to go have this incredible romantic dinner and all."

"And the dinner didn't go so well?" Alison presumed.

"I thought he was going to propose."

"And he didn't, huh?"

"Nope. Ali, I don't understand it! Why is he taking forever? Hasn't the last year meant anything to him? We've been through so much together."

"Don't worry, sweetie, I'm sure he'll come around. Just give him a little time."

"Alison, we've had time. You know, I've known Jack longer than you've know Rafe and you're already married with a baby on the way. What does that tell you?"

"Well, you can't really compare my relationship with Rafe to yours and Jack's. I mean, let's face it, Rafe and I have never had an ordinary relationship, and Rafe isn't exactly an ordinary guy."

"Yeah, true. I just wish he'd hurry up. Why do guys have to be so commitment-phobic?"

"Livvie, Jack loves you more than anything. He always has and he always will. Your time will come soon. And you two will be together for a long time. This is only the beginning."

Livvie smiled. "You really think so?"

"I know so."

"Thanks, Alison. I'll be back, I'm going to go to the bathroom."

"All right. I think I might go check out what's to eat."

As Alison made her way over to food, she spotted Jack getting himself something to drink. She walked over to say hello.

"Hey, Jack!"

Jack turned around, smiling. "Alison, hey. How are you doing?" He gave her a hug.

"I'm good. You tried my cupcakes yet?"

"What?"

"I was the one who brought the cupcakes to the party. What did you think of them?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Alison, I haven't eaten anything yet. I'm not really hungry right now. Maybe in a little while?"

"Okay, sweetie, what's wrong?"

"What makes you think something is wrong?"

"Because I've never known Jack Ramsey to turn down food. Especially _my_ food. Now come on, let's sit and tell me what's wrong." Alison took his hand and they sat down in some nearby lawn chairs.

"Alison, have you ever done something so stupid that it just completely ruins everything?"

"I think everyone does stupid things once in a while, Jack."

"Last night, I took Livvie to the PC Grille. I told her that I thought the two of us having a romantic evening together was way overdue and that we should go out and have a nice time."

"The evening not turn out how you planned?"

"I was going to ask Livvie to marry me, but I screwed it up!"

Alison's jaw dropped. So he was thinking about proposing! But obviously, something went wrong, and he didn't. "What happened?"

"When Livvie excused herself to run to the ladies' room, I reached into my pocket to get the ring out, you know, just to look at it. That's when I realized it wasn't there."

"You lost it!?"

"No, I left it at home in my dresser drawer! I must have been so nervous that I completely forgot it!"

"Aww, sweetie, I'm so sorry!"

"Of course, my whole proposal was ruined after that. I mean, technically I could have still proposed, but those things go over so much better when you actually have the ring, you know? I had this image in my mind of what it would be like when I finally proposed to Livvie. She'd look up at and see me smiling at her, then she'd look down and see I was holding a diamond ring. Then she'd start to cry. Then suddenly I wouldn't feel nervous anymore and I'd ask her if she'd marry me. Livvie would shake her head yes. Then I'd slip that ring on her finger. It was all ruined Alison! I'm such an idiot for leaving that ring in my drawer!"

"No, you're not. When you're about to do something as big as that, it's easy to feel nervous and to forget things."

"Oh come on, Alison, I doubt someone has ever done anything as stupid that! What guy is stupid enough to leave the ring at home on the night he plans to propose to his girlfriend?"

"Honey, some men are so stupid that they leave the ring at home on their wedding day. That's why the groom has a best man."

"You know what the worst part about it all is?"

"What?"

"I think Livvie's been suspecting I'm going to propose to her soon."

"Oh, you think so?"

"Last night would have been the perfect opportunity, so when I didn't, well, let's just say she's been really moody since we got home last night. I'm sure she was disappointed. We could have been celebrating last night but instead, she said she was so tired and went to bed early."

"Okay, I have an idea! You will get your chance to propose to Livvie, and it's going to be the best proposal ever!"

"You're not thinking of the yacht thing again, are you? Because remember that didn't turn out so well last time…"

"No, no, no! This will be one proposal that will go off without a hitch. I promise."

"What should I do?"

"Well, you say Livvie already suspects that you may have proposing on your mind, right? So in that case, you should try to make the proposal a surprise. You know, do something to catch her off guard. Make it spontaneous!"

"How do I do that?"

"Well, like when Rafe proposed to me. He took me to the bridge, you know, the one by the park?"

"Yeah."

"It's kind of a special place for us. Well anyway, he took me there and he gave me this poem he had written for me. And when I read the last line, it said, 'Marry me, Alison.' When I read that, Jack, I just couldn't believe it! Of all the things, I hadn't expected that to happen that night. And there was Rafe, on his knee proposing to me." Alison smiled, lost in the memory of her proposal.

"Alison?" Jack said to get her attention.

"Hmm?"

"That's really nice and all, but I don't do poetry."

Alison laughed. "I'm not saying you have to write poetry! All right, why don't you just start off by telling me of a special place you and Livvie have. You have to have somewhere that's special to the both of you."

"The river."

"Oh course, the river! Jack, that's perfect!"

"How can I make it romantic?"

"Oh, I got it! Okay, when Livvie's on her way home one day, you leave her a note at the house, and all you say is that you want her to meet you at the river."

"Then what?"

"Then, you could like, set up this romantic picnic there, just the two of you, and you know, with champagne, and some music. And then, that's when you would propose!"

Jack lit up. "Alison, that could really work! That's even better than proposing at the Grille!"

"Thank you," Alison said with a smile. "I do have a knack for coming up with good ideas for romance."

"All right, I'm going to do it. Thanks, Alison!"

"You're welcome. Oh, but, Jack, there is one thing you do have to remember in order to pull this off."

"What?"

"The ring!" Alison laughed.

"Haha, very funny, Alison."

Alison stood up, giving his shoulder a pat. "Don't worry, everything will go fine. There's Jamal. I'm going to go over and say hello. See you later."

Jack smiled, suddenly feeling much better. He walked over to the food table, suddenly having a craving for some cupcakes.

"Hey, there you are."

Jamal turned around, seeing Alison with a big smile on her face.

"Ali! Hey!" Jamal pulled her in for a hug, then held her back to get a good look at her. "What's made you so happy?"

"You ever have one of those times in your life where everything is going great for you and your friends? Wasn't this such a good idea Lucy had for a party?"

"Yeah, Lucy's always good at these kinds of things."

Alison looked behind Jamal and smiled. Jamal looked over his shoulder to see Marissa walk over to them.

"Alison, I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

"Hi, Marissa. I'm better than ever. You?"

"Great." Marissa smiled as Jamal put his arm around her.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Marissa."

"What?"

"Don't you like my muffins anymore?"

"I'm sorry! I've just been rushed lately. I'll drop by tomorrow morning."

"Oh good." Alison smiled. "Well, I'm going to go get some food. I'll see you two later. Enjoy the party."

Alison walked away, a smile on her face. Everything she had ever wanted…her friends happiness, and her own, was happening.

~*~*~*~

"Look at him, Livvie," Alison sighed as she watched Rafe lovingly, playing with his little cousin. Rafe held Christina by her hands and spun her around, lifting the child up and making her airborne. Her laughter carried over to the porch.

"Wish I was little enough to do that," Livvie laughed.

"I can't wait when it's me and Rafe’s little girl."

Livvie smiled. "Little girl?"

"Or little boy."

"When do you get to find out?" she asked excitedly.

Alison smiled at Livvie. "When it's born."

"You're not going to find out early?" Livvie complained.

"We want it to be a surprise."

"How can you not want to find out, Alison? When I throw you your baby shower, how will I know which color of balloons to buy?"

"You're going to throw me a baby shower?" Alison grinned.

"Well come on, you knew I would, right? But you won't know when. It'll be a surprise. It could happen at any time."

"What could happen at any time?" Rafe asked, giving Alison a kiss on her forehead, then sitting down beside the girls.

"A baby shower for Alison," Livvie explained.

"Oh, well that sounds fun." Rafe smiled.

Alison picked up a strawberry from the bowl she'd been eating out of and put it to Rafe's mouth. "You're so cute, you know that?"

"Well I try to be," he grinned.

"No, I mean with Christina. You're going to be an amazing dad."

"So when are you guys going to tell people?" Livvie asked. "I'm dying to go baby shopping but then I'd have to explain to Jack why I'm buying baby stuff!"

"You could tell Jack, I wouldn't mind," Alison said.

"Yeah but it's not my secret to tell!"

"You know, Livvie's right," Rafe said. "Maybe we should go ahead and let everyone know of the good news. We can't keep it to ourselves forever."

"And pretty much all of our family and friends are already here."

"You want to?"

Alison shook her head yes. "Let's do it."

"Yay!" Livvie cheered.

Rafe took Alison's hand and walked her over to the middle of the yard.

"Um, everyone?" He said loudly. "If I could just get your attention for just a moment."

All eyes turned to Rafe and Alison.

Rafe held on to Alison's hand tighter. "Alison and I have an announcement to make. And since just about everyone we know is here, we thought we'd go ahead and tell the good news." Rafe turned to Alison. "You wanna tell them?" he whispered.

"You do it," Alison whispered back.

Rafe smiled, thinking it was cute how Alison suddenly appeared nervous, when usually it was the other way around. "Everyone, Alison and I…well, it looks like we're having a baby."

Sounds of joy filled the air. Everyone seemed to talk at once, coming up to the two and offering their congratulations.

Lucy was first. "Oh I had a dream about this happening! I knew it was true! I'm so happy for you!" Lucy hugged her cousin, then turning to Alison to give her a hug. "Well," Lucy said, turning to the crowd, "I guess we have something to celebrate now!"

 


	57. Chapter 57

originally posted 2-1-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

57

~*~*~*~

Alison took a warm batch of cookies out of the oven and set them in the display case. She was pleasantly surprised, as she rarely had to make this many in one day. What had started out as a little riverfront bakery was quickly becoming quite the success, as she was gaining new business every day.

Just then, she heard the little bell on the door ring. Alison smiled when she saw who it was.

"Hey angel," Rafe said, walking in, a smile on his face, and little Christina holding his hand.

"Hey!" Alison walked over to him, giving him a quick kiss. She then looked to Christina, bending down to her level. "Hey, Christina! It's a nice surprise seeing you!"

Christina smiled, moving closer to give her a hug. Then, she looked up at Alison with begging eyes. "I want a cookie!"

Alison laughed. "Well you can have as many as you want! In fact, I just took some out of the oven."

"Yay!"

Rafe laughed, picking the child up and sitting her on the counter while Alison gave Christina a chocolate chip cookie. "Now they're a little warm, so be careful. The chocolate chips are kind of melty!"

Christina didn't care, and the melted chocolate was soon all over her fingertips.

"So, Lucy's got you babysitting today?"

"Yeah. Lucy had to take Serena to go get a physical for soccer tryouts or something, and she thought Christina would be bored so she suggested I take her for a few hours. In fact, her exact words were, 'It'll be great practice for you, cousin!'"

"Well we don't mind at all. We love practicing with this little beauty!"

Christina looked at Alison and smiled, chocolate crumbs already on her lips. "I want another one!"

Alison smiled, handing her another cookie.

"So, how would you feel about going out for dinner tonight at the PC Grille?"

Alison gave Rafe a suspicious look. "Sounds good. Any particular reason why the Grille? We celebrating something?"

"As a matter of fact…yes. I have some good news!"

"I love good news!"

"Okay, you know that youth center on Castle Street?"

"I think so. Is that the red brick building?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Oh yeah, I know where that is."

"Well get this, the director of the center…forced to resign. It was suspected that he was um…" Rafe looked down at Christina, choosing his words carefully. "He may have been too friendly with the youth," he whispered.

"Oh my god!" Alison gasped. "Wait a minute…this is good news?"

"Oh, no that's the bad news. That's very bad news. But here's the good news. Guess who the new director is going to be."

"Who?"

Rafe grinned. "You're looking at him."

"Oh my god! Rafe! That's wonderful news!" Alison wrapped her arms around Rafe, giving him a hug. "How did this all come about?"

"Well, they were thinking about shutting down the center, but the parents spoke up, and they didn't want it closed. They want some place for their kids to go after school, some place to keep them off the streets, you know? So instead of getting rid of the center, they just got rid of the director. And since the center gets a lot of help from the local churches, Reverend Lovejoy knew they were looking for someone to fill the position. He asked me if I was interested and I said yes. So he recommended me and I got it."

"That's the best news I heard all day! I don't think they could have picked a better person for the job!"

"I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"Well it sure is right up your alley. Will you take me to go see the place after work?"

"Sure."

"Oh good!” The phone rang. “Oh hold on, let me get the phone."

"I want to go see it too!" Christina begged.

"Oh you'll love it there, Princess. There's a big playground and it has a _huge_ jungle gym."

Christina's eyes widened with excitement. "Does it have swings too?" she asked hopefully.

"Six of them."

"And slides?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"And a merry-go-round?"

"I think there's one."

"And a sandbox?"

"Hmm, I don't think there's a box, but there is a lot of sand there. And you know what else it has?"

"What?"

"Lots of toys!"

"Oh boy!" she said excitedly.

"Oh…my…god!" Alison said, putting the phone down and walking over to Rafe.

Rafe grew concerned. From the expression on Alison's face, he couldn't tell if she had just received really good news or really bad news. "What is it? Who was that on the phone?"

Alison spoke slowly, trying to catch her breath. "I just got a call from a really sweet girl. She asked if we did wedding cakes. _Wedding cakes_ , Rafe! That's like, the mother of all cakes! And she wants me to do it! Oh my god, she wants _me_ to do it?" Alison suddenly panicked. "I've never made a wedding cake before! What have I gotten myself into, Rafe? I'm going to screw up the happiest day of this poor girl's life!"

"Alison, what are you talking about?"

"I made her nephew's birthday cake and she said she loved it so much that she wants me to do her wedding cake now. And I said yes but I didn't really think about what I was agreeing too! I can't make a wedding cake!"

"Alison, that's crazy talk. You realize why she chose you to make her wedding cake, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Because, it's you she trusts. She wouldn't have asked you to make it if she hadn't believed you could do the best possible job on it."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. And, Alison, think about all the new business you'll gain from this!"

"New business?"

"Yeah! Everyone will be at the wedding reception, and they'll keep asking the bride where she got the cake, because it's the best wedding cake they've ever tasted. And she'll say, 'Why, that sweet Alison girl made it. You know, she has that bakery on the riverfront?' And then, the bridesmaids will all come here when it's their wedding, because they want their cake to be just like the one at their best friend's wedding reception. And then all of a sudden, the bride's little sister is graduating college, and she'll need a graduation cake! And her sister will drive her right on over here to get one. And then before you know it, Old Uncle Henry is retiring from the factory after 40 years of work. And he's going to need a retirement cake for his retirement party!"

Alison started laughing. "Old Uncle Henry's retirement party? Do I know these people?"

"You will. He's just one of the many new customers you'll have very soon. Come on, stop doubting yourself. You'll make the best wedding cake in town. And apparently, I'm not the only one who thinks so. There's a very lucky bride-to-be out there that's going to be very happy she didn't ask the "Sweet Tooth Bakery" to make her cake."

"I love you!" Alison wrapped her arms around Rafe. "Thank you," she whispered, then kissing him softly.

"You make the best cookies too!" Christina cheered.

Alison and Rafe looked over at her and laughed, as she was a mess with the chocolate.

~*~*~*~

After Alison closed the bakery for the day, Rafe took her and Christina to the youth center as promised and showed them around.

"Wow, this place is bigger than I thought it would be," Alison said as she walked around, looking into room after room.

"This room right here is the library. It's where the kids work on their homework. And we have tutors to help them. And this room over here is the computer lab. It has twenty computers, all with Internet connection."

"Nice. So, tell me. As the director, what are like, your duties and stuff?"

"Well, mostly overseeing everything. The other workers, the volunteers, making sure things run smoothly. That sort of thing. And I'm also in charge of all of the programs held here, like the sports or drug prevention programs. But my main job is to be a positive role model for the kids. You know, spend some time with them. Maybe play a board game with them or maybe I could even teach them some self-defense moves."

"I could see you doing that," Alison smiled.

"Yeah, who would have thought all of my training for slaying would come in handy for this?"

Down the hallway, there was a set of heavy double doors. Christina ran over to investigate. She pushed one of the doors open just enough so she could squeeze through. "Wow!" she exclaimed.

Rafe and Alison finally caught up to her. "And this," he said as he opened the door, "is our gym. Most of the kids like to play basketball on the outside court, but when it's rainy or too cold, they play here."

"Basketballs!" Christina said excitedly, picking one off of the rack against the wall. She threw the ball up in the air and watched it bounce on the hard floor. She ran after it as it rolled away from her.

Alison smiled, an amusing image crossing her mind.

"What is it?" Rafe asked, noticing the expression on her face.

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to picture you playing basketball with a bunch of teenagers." Alison started laughing.

"All right, I'll be the first to admit that I don't know a lot about sports, but that doesn't mean I'm not willing to learn. In fact…" Rafe trailed off, picking a ball from the rack and walking over to the goal. "I can make that basket easy."

"Care to make this interesting?" Alison said with a big grin.

"Interesting how?"

"A bet. You make that goal, and I'll do anything you want tonight." Alison grinned seductively.

"Anything?" Rafe grinned.

"Anything," Alison whispered.

"And if I don't?"

"Then you do anything I want." Alison laughed. "So?"

"Get ready to lose the bet."

"Oh I don't think I will."

"You just watch." Rafe stood at the goal line, looking up at the basket and mentally judging how high and far he'd have to throw it to make it. He held the ball firmly between his palms. Then, he threw it and watched as it made its way over. It bounced against the backboard. He grinned as the ball touched the rim. And then, the ball suddenly ricocheted to the other side of the rim, missing the basket entirely.

"YES!" Alison shouted. "SCORE! For me anyway!" Alison laughed mockingly.

"Fine, you win."

"Aww, I'm sorry honey. You were close."

"I'd like to see you try it," he said, throwing the ball towards Alison.

Alison caught it. She walked over to the goal, dribbling the ball as she did. Then without much thought, she threw the ball towards the goal. She heard the _swish_ of the net as the ball went through it, never once touching the rim. Alison smiled at Rafe. "Those kids are going to kick your butt at basketball."

"Funny, Alison. Very funny." Rafe was not amused.

Outside, Rafe showed Christina the playground, which she was thrilled to play on. Rafe and Alison sat down on the bench and watched her play.

Rafe told Alison more about the plans for the center. "If we have get enough funding next year, then there's a possibility that we can get a pool for the kids to play at during the summer."

Alison beamed. "Our children are going to think we're the best parents. They go to work with me, they get cookies. They go to work with you, they get a pool."

Rafe laughed.

"So what exactly was the deal with the guy who got fired here?

"He was making advances towards the teenage girls."

"People like that make me sick."

"It was nothing too serious, but it could have definitely headed in that direction. He was a young guy, just out of college. The girls looked up to him and he simply took advantage of that."

"Hey pumpkin head!"

"Mommy!"

Rafe and Alison looked up to see that Lucy had arrived. She picked Christina up and walked over to Rafe and Alison. Serena followed.

"Hey Lucy!" Alison said cheerfully, giving Lucy a hug.

"Hey, cousin, hope this wasn't too much out of your way."

"Oh no, not at all! I wanted to check out the place anyway. Isn't this just great? I'm so happy for him!" Lucy said, turning to Alison.

"I know, I keep saying that they couldn't have picked a better person!"

"Oh look, we're making him blush!" Lucy laughed.

"Thanks, both of you. That means a lot to me. Serena, how'd the physical go?"

"Great! Passed with flying colors! Now I just have to make the cut for the team next Thursday."

"Well, I don't know much about soccer but…I believe you'll make it."

"Thanks!"

"He doesn't know much about basketball either." Alison laughed.

"Not this again," Rafe grumbled.

"What about basketball?" a confused Lucy asked.

"Oh, I made a bet with him that he couldn't make a basket. So now he owes me." Alison grinned, proud of her victory.

Lucy was eager to get the grand tour, so Rafe showed her around. Soon afterwards though, Lucy had to leave to take the girls shopping for some new shoes. Then Rafe and Alison headed off to the Grille to celebrate.

~*~*~*~

It was already pretty dark outside when Rafe and Alison got back home from dinner.

"I have to say, that was an incredible dinner. What a great idea you had."

"Well I figured it was someone else's turn to cook for us tonight." Rafe pulled Alison closer and kissed her softly. "So, since you won the bet, what's the first thing you want me to do?" he asked, kissing her again.

"Well," she said, between kisses, "I was thinking we could first start in the bathroom."

"Ooo, kinky," Rafe laughed.

"Yeah, there's something that we need to do in there that's long overdue."

"And what would that be?"

~*~*~*~

"Um, Alison? When you said I had to do anything you wanted, I didn't think cleaning the toilet was what you had in mind," Rafe grumbled as he moved the toilet brush around the bowl.

Alison stood at the sink, washing her face in front of the mirror. "I'm pregnant. I don't feel like doing it. What did you think I had in mind? Sex?" she asked, turning to Rafe.

"Well, you did kind of give me that impression."

Alison laughed. "Well maybe that's what you wanted to do, but this is what I want you to do." Alison walked over to the toilet and peered over Rafe's shoulder. "Okay, I think that looks clean. Now if you could go in the kitchen and unload the dishwasher, that would be great! I just ran it this morning."

"Yes, dear," Rafe said. The dishes, next to the toilet, were about the last thing he had on his mind right now.

Alison laughed to herself, thinking about how fun Rafe must be having doing housework.

When Rafe finished the dishes, he headed to the bedroom, thinking Alison would be in bed by now, but she wasn't there. "Alison?"

"In here," she called from the bathroom.

Of course, Rafe thought to himself. She must be still getting ready for bed. It took her forever to get ready in the morning, and it was no different at night. As Rafe opened the door to the bathroom, he was surprised. No lights, only candles. And there was Alison, her hair pinned back, sitting in a tub full of suds that went up to her neck.

"I um, finished the dishes," Rafe said, his eyes never leaving Alison. "What did you want me to do next?"

"I want you to strip."

Rafe laughed. "Strip?"

"Well, unless of course you want to get in this tub fully clothed."

"You had this planned all along, didn't you?" Rafe asked as he started unbuttoning his shirt.

"Yeah, but I thought it'd be a good way to get housework out of the way too. Besides, gave you something to do while I got the bath ready. Now hurry up with those pants."

Rafe shed the last of his clothes and stepped into the bath with Alison. The water felt incredibly warm, and the bubbles smelled like wild flowers. He moved closer to Alison, pulling her closer to him. "You're right, this was way overdue."

"Yeah, I think it's been a while since we've done this. Now no more talking."

Rafe obliged, and within seconds, they were all over each other. He kissed her lips, then moving on to her neck, inhaling her. Her skin was taking on the scent of the water.

After a while, the suds were starting to dissolve. "I think we should get out now," Alison said. "Will you get my towel?"

"Yeah." Rafe got out of the water, wrapping his own towel around his waist. Then, he took Alison's towel off the rack. Alison stood up, and Rafe wrapped the big fluffy towel around her.

"Thanks," she said. "I have one more request of you tonight."

"What's that?" he asked as he rubbed the towel over her body, trying to warm her up.

"Take me to bed."

Rafe scooped her up in his arms, wrapping her in layers of the towel. "Getting sleepy?"

"Oh no," she replied. "Sleep is definitely not what I have in mind."

 


	58. Chapter 58

originally posted 3-7-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

58

~*~*~*~

Rafe awoke the next morning feeling completely rested, and surprised at how quickly morning seemed to come. He smiled, remembering last night. Rafe looked over at Alison, still gone to the world, lost in her dreams.

Under the covers, his hand lightly touched the outside of her leg. He then ran his fingers over her hip, across her side, and up to her shoulder. How she kept her skin so soft was still a mystery to him. Then he inhaled her, the smell of last night's bubble bath still lingering on her skin. Rafe kissed her arm a few times, moving up to her shoulder, then to her neck and finally to her earlobe. He whispered softly in her ear, hoping it would wake her up.

It did.

"Rafe, it's Saturday," Alison groaned, then pulling the bed sheet completely over her head.

Well, so much for that idea, Rafe sighed. He'd let her have her rest…she did need it. Rafe got out of bed and headed over to the dresser to find some clothes. A morning run was apparently the only physical activity he'd be doing this morning.

~*~*~*~

Rafe eyed the stack of books on the coffee table. When Alison had said a few hours ago that she was going to the bookstore with Livvie to buy some pregnancy books, he had no idea she had meant ten of them! Rafe sat down on the couch and picked one up, browsing through it. It looked pretty informative…and detailed too.

He turned to the page that Alison had a bookmark in already. Rafe smiled, seeing the photograph of a developing fetus. That was what their baby looked like right now. In reality, the baby was really small, but the picture made it seem so much bigger, magnifying every little detail. It was amazing.

He then made the mistake of turning to the labor and delivery section. It was a bit more information than he was seeking. Rafe, horrified at the image of birth, threw the book down on the couch and tried to catch his breath. He couldn't begin to imagine Alison going through this!

_Knock knock knock._

"Coming," Rafe called out, relieved he had something to occupy his mind other than _that_. "Eve, hi."

"Hey, Rafe. Hope you don't mind me dropping by."

"No not at all. Come on in. What's all this you got here?" Rafe asked, noticing the big paper bags she carried into the house.

"Well, Alison asked me the other day if I knew of any places where she could get some great baby stuff and I said yes…me." Eve laughed. "All this stuff, you two can have. It's a bunch of Danny's old things. Old clothes, old toys. We were going to just give it away to goodwill but since you might need it, you can have it all."

"Thanks, Eve. This is great!" Rafe said as he began to look through the bags. "But are you sure you don't want to keep some of this?"

"Oh no, we don't have room for it anymore. We have to make room for all of Danny's new things. And in fact, speaking of things that take up space, I've got a baby swing in the trunk of my car that you're welcome to have."

"Oh we'll definitely take it. Alison's been wanting one of those. Well here, let me go get that for you. It's probably kind of heavy."

Eve followed Rafe outside to unlock the trunk for him.

"Eve, this is a nice one," Rafe marveled.

"It'll last for hours and it even plays music."

"Are you sure you want to give this up?"

"Oh yeah. Danny's actually starting to get too big for it anyway. He's tired of the swing anyway. He spends most of his time in his walker."

"Well we could definitely use this. Thanks so much, Eve."

"Oh you're welcome. Hey, is Alison here?" Eve asked as they walked back into the house. "I see her car in the driveway."

"She is but…she's taking a nap."

"Oh, well don't wake her up. Never wake up a pregnant woman, but I'm sure you know that." Eve laughed.

"I've learned that the hard way. She gets cranky when she doesn't get her afternoon nap. Or when she doesn't get to sleep late. Come to think of it, she was like that before she got pregnant. Now she's just worse." Rafe laughed, knowing how Alison would whine if he ever woke her up too early, like this morning.

"Well I have to run. I have a shift at the hospital. Tell Alison that I said hey."

"Okay, I will. Thanks, Eve."

"Oh no problem."

"Oh wait, Eve, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I want you to be honest with me. How painful is childbirth?"

"Oh, I don't think you want me to answer this question!"

"Eve, please you have to tell me, okay? Because I'm a little scared of it and I'm not even the one who's going to go through it!"

"Rafe, don't worry, Alison will be fine."

"Eve, you didn't answer my question. I want to know how painful it is."

"Well it doesn't feel pleasant, I can promise you that. But in the end, it doesn't matter. You'll have this beautiful little person and how awful the pain was is really the last thing on your mind then."

"Okay, but when you were actually in labor, like on a scale from 1-10, how bad was the pain? Ten? Or like, triple digits?" Rafe persisted.

"Rafe, oh my god! All right, I'll tell you! It feels like someone is ripping you open very slowly. Slowly and painfully. With a giant knife! Like a sharp pain cutting you from the inside out. Or like scissors cutting really tender skin, and with each push, it feels like…"

"Okay that's enough visual images, Eve! I get it!"

"Well, you asked. If I were you, I'd advise Alison to get the epidural."

"You mean you didn't?"

"I made the mistake of waiting too long. I won't be making that mistake again…trust me. Well, now that I've completely terrified you of the birthing process, I've gotta run."

"Thanks, Eve, I think…" Rafe said as she walked out.

~*~*~*~

"Who was at the door?" Alison said, yawning as she walked into the living room a few minutes later.

"Oh good, you're awake," Rafe smiled, giving her a kiss. "It was Eve. She brought some things over for us to have."

"Baby things!" Alison spotted the bags sitting beside the couch. "I was hoping Eve would be able to bring them over today." Alison sat down and began looking through all the things, making a fuss over how adorable everything was.

"Alison?"

"Mmm-hmm?" She looked up at him and smiled.

"I've been thinking…we should probably start preparing for the baby."

"Well, I think getting baby stuff is a start," she said, laughing.

"No, I don't mean that. I'm talking about when you go into labor."

Alison looked up at him like he was crazy. "Rafe, I'm just a few months along. I'm not even showing yet."

"I know, but it's never too soon to start preparing. How about we pack a bag of everything we'll need when it's time to go to the hospital? That way, when it's time, all we'll have to do is just grab it and go."

"Okay, we can do that."

"Good. That would make me feel a lot better."

Something was bothering him. That much, Alison could tell. "Rafe, what's wrong?"

"I was just thinking about how hard this is going to be on you."

Alison reached for his hand. "But I'll have you. Yeah, things will be tough but…well you'll be there helping me every step of the way. I don't think I could do it without you."

Rafe gave a weak smile.

"Come on, stop worrying, and let's look through all of this stuff!" Alison leaned forward, giving him a quick kiss.

"I'm surprised you haven't said anything about the baby swing yet."

"Eve's giving us baby swing?" she asked, excitedly.

Rafe pointed to it and smiled as Alison ran over to get a look at it.

~*~*~*~

Alison was in panic mode.

She stood over a bowl of cake batter, amidst several "How to make a wedding cake" books. The books made it seem so easy. Rafe made it seem so easy. Oh sure, it was easy for Rafe to say she could do it…because he didn't know a thing about cake baking.

It was so NOT easy.

In fact, the whole thing was making her feel like a complete failure. What was wrong with her? She'd never had any problems baking…it had always been something that just came natural to her. But this…well, this was a little harder than she expected. Sure, she had three good long months to practice, but from the way things were looking, she was going to need a lot more than three months to make the perfect wedding cake. And if this wedding cake was anything less than perfect, well, it was her reputation, and her business, on the line.

The phone rang, and Alison quickly composed herself. The last thing she wanted was to sound like a panicky baker on the phone. "Alison's Heavenly Delights," she sang.

"Alison, hey! I have to talk to you!"

"Oh, Livvie, am I GLAD to hear you! Can you come over here to the bakery, like, now?"

Livvie frowned as she twisted her diamond ring around her finger. Her good news would have to wait. Alison sounded frantic. "What's the matter?"

"I'm freaking out!"

"About what?"

"About this wedding cake!"

"You're making the cake now?"

"No, I'm making a practice cake, but it's not turning out right! I need your help, please! Can you come over? You're not busy right now, are you?"

"I'll be over there in a little bit, all right?"

"Great! Thanks, Livvie!"

~*~*~*~

When Livvie arrived, Alison was nowhere in sight. In fact, the only person there was Stacy, the new part time employee Alison hired. "Stacy, hey."

"Oh hi, Livvie."

"Where's Alison?" Livvie asked, looking towards the back and not seeing her anywhere.

"She left a few minutes ago. Something about needing more flour and something about a buttercream frosting."

"Has she been working on that cake all day?"

Stacy nodded.

"She did sound rather frantic on the phone."

"Hey, Livvie, do you think you could stay here for a while and watch the place? Alison said she'd only be a few minutes but if I don't leave now, I'll be late for my class."

"Oh, sure, no problem! Go, go get to your class. I have to talk to Alison anyway."

"Thanks, Livvie!" Stacy reached behind the counter to grab her things and then rushed out the door.

Livvie walked around to the back and saw two half-eaten cakes, obviously the ones Alison had been working on all day. Livvie picked up the knife beside it. Alison wouldn't mind if she had a piece. She cut a small sliver of cake from one of them and tasted it, then nodded her head in approval. It was good! She didn't know what Alison was complaining about.

The light suddenly caught the diamond on her finger. Livvie held out her hand and smiled, once again thinking of Jack proposing to her. So she had been wrong. Jack did want to marry her. Livvie helped herself to another piece of cake, thoughts of the wedding already on her mind.

Just then, she heard someone come in. Alison walked into the bakery, her arms full of grocery bags.

"Alison?"

"Oh good, you're here! Stacy leave for her class?"

"Yeah. Alison, please tell me you're not stressing this much over a cake. The wedding's three months away."

"I am, Livvie! It's really not as easy as it looks." Alison began unloading the bags.

"Alison, this stress isn't good for the baby."

"Livvie, if this cake sucks, that's the end of my bakery! Now tell me how that's going to be good for the baby if I can't provide for it?" Alison tore open the flour bag and grabbed a measuring cup, scooping some out and pouring it into a bowl.

"Okay, Alison, stop!" Livvie gently took her friend by the shoulders and forced her to face her. "Now breathe."

Alison took a deep breath.

"Alison, you've really got to stop panicking. Everything's going to be okay."

"Do you really believe that, or are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"I really believe that. I had a sample of that cake. It was delicious!"

"Yeah, but it doesn't taste like a wedding cake. It's just…ordinary. There's nothing special about it."

"You're too critical of yourself."

"Did you try this one?"

"No."

"Try it and tell me what you think. Be honest."

"Okay." Livvie cut off a small piece to taste. "I like it."

"Really?"

"You might want to use a different kind of frosting but…otherwise, it's very sweet. Creamy too."

"How about this one?"

"I tried that one."

"Which one do you like best? The first or second one?"

"The first."

"Oh good, that was my favorite too."

"Not bad at all for your first wedding cake. In fact, I predict you'll be making many more wedding cakes after this one."

Alison's eyes lit up. "You think so?"

Livvie smiled. "Could you make mine?"

"Sure, I'll make yours!"

And then it hit her. There was a reason for that big grin on Livvie's face. "Livvie, oh my god!" Alison grabbed her hand, looking at the diamond ring she wore. "I can't believe I've been talking to you this whole time and I didn't even notice this! Aww, sweetie! Jack proposed!"

"Guess where he proposed!"

"I know, the river."

"You know?"

"I sort of gave him the idea."

"You knew the whole time he was planning this?"

"Yeah, can you believe I didn't spoil the surprise? Oh, I'm so happy for you! Congratulations!" Alison gave her a hug. "Well, I think this calls for a little celebration. Cake?" she asked, handing her a plate.

"I'd love some," Livvie smiled.

 


	59. Chapter 59

originally posted 3-13-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

59

~*~*~*~

Rafe opened his eyes slowly, sensing that something was not quite right. Rafe turned over towards Alison's side of the bed, realizing that Alison was not there. He glanced over at the alarm clock. 6:30 am?! Alison was never up this early.

Probably a quick trip to the bathroom, he presumed, then rolled back over and pulled the covers up to his chest.

But then, he awoke again. What was that smell? Coffee? Okay, something was definitely strange.

Rafe stumbled out of bed and into the hallway, heading for the kitchen. He stood at the doorway for a few moments, just watching her. Alison stood over a frying pan, humming to herself as she cooked up some French toast. "Alison?"

Alison turned around and gave him a big smile. "Good morning! I was hoping you'd wake up soon. I made you some coffee. With cream and sugar, just how you like it."

Rafe continued to stare at her, completely dumbfounded. He knew his wife had a very bubbly and perky personality, but at 6:30 am?

"Well aren't you going to have some?" Alison asked, noticing Rafe was still standing in the doorway.

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

"Huh?" Alison asked, not a clue what he was talking about.

"Alison, do you know what time it is?"

Alison continued to look at him in confusion.

"It's 6:30 in the morning!"

"Yeah…so?"

She had to be kidding! "So? Angel, since we've been married, I can count the times on one hand that you've been awake before me, and usually it was never any time before seven."

"I couldn't sleep! I'm just too excited! Plus, I wanted to make sure we'd have enough time in the morning. I don't want us to be late," Alison explained.

Rafe had to smile. She was just too cute. He walked over to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup. "Alison, our appointment isn't until 9:30."

"I know, but I was thinking. Maybe if we leave a little sooner, Dr. Meadows will have some extra time and can go ahead and see us. What do you think?"

"I think we'd be waiting a while. A doctor's timetable is worse than yours."

"Haha," Alison said. "Sorry, I guess I'm just real anxious to see the baby." Alison walked over to Rafe, putting her arms around him. "Do you think we'll actually be able to see stuff, or do you think it'll look just like a big blob on the screen? Because I hope it doesn't look like a blob; I want to be able to see the baby!"

Rafe laughed softly, giving her a little kiss. "I'm sure whatever the ultrasound shows, it'll be amazing."

"You're right. It will." Alison smiled. "French toast?"

"Please," Rafe said, having a seat at the table while Alison brought out a plate of it.

No sooner had Rafe cut his toast into small evenly squared pieces, Alison was already finishing off hers. "Wow, you were hungry."

"And still am!" Alison remarked, sticking her fork into another slice and bring it to her plate. "I'm eating for two you know."

~*~*~*~

At times, it was hard for Alison to believe there was a baby growing inside of her. As she laid back in the chair, her shirt raised and her belly exposed, she saw no bump. In fact, if it hadn't have been for the nausea and fatigue, Alison would have a hard time believing she was pregnant at all. Things like this worried Alison, and she worried if the baby was growing or not.

"Dr. Meadows, when do you think I'll start showing?"

"It's different for every woman," she replied as she began to get things ready for the ultrasound. "Considering this is your first pregnancy, you probably won't notice any significant changes until after a couple of months. It usually takes first timers a bit longer to 'show'. But then again, you could start popping out by next week, so it's safe to say at any time really. And then you'll be surprised how fast you grow after that."

"I just wanted to make sure the baby was growing okay…ooh! Oh my god, that is COLD!"

Rafe laughed at the expression on her face.

"Sorry, I forgot to warn you," Dr. Meadows said, referring to the gel she spread over Alison's tummy. "I'm sure the baby's growing just fine. But just to be sure, let's have a look, shall we?"

At first, it was hard for either of them to see anything. The screen was filled with moving shades of gray, black, and white. But slowly and surely, the outline of a little baby came into focus.

"Oh my god," Alison whispered, feeling her eyes beginning to well up. On the screen, she could see a perfect little head, and beside it, a hand with little tiny fingers! "You can actually see the fingers!"

Rafe was awestruck, and speechless. It wasn't until this point that the pregnancy really became real to him. The feeling had come much earlier for Alison, since she was the one experiencing it all, but for Rafe, he'd never know what it would be like to be in her position. But now, actually seeing the image of his and Alison's child for the first time, it was surreal. Up until this point, all Rafe had were the images in his imagination, but now, he had a real picture. A real picture of what the baby looked like.

Dr. Meadows rolled her wand over Alison's belly, the images nothing new to her. She'd seen hundreds of these in her career. But to Rafe and Alison, the whole experience was quite emotional, and gave them new and exciting feelings. That was their baby, and they were finally seeing it for the first time! Alison felt tears rolling down her cheek as Dr. Meadows pointed out the baby's head and arms. On the screen, the baby moved an arm, which Alison thought was amazing. There it was, moving inside of her, even though she hadn't felt a thing. "Looks like it's waving to Mom and Dad," the doctor joked.

And then, things began to get even more incredible. At the baby's chest, something was continuously moving in a rhythmic motion. At first, Rafe didn't know what it was, but then he realized.

"There's the heart beating," Dr. Meadows said, finishing Rafe's thought.

"That's amazing," Rafe whispered. "I didn't know it was possible to see it moving like that."

Suddenly, a loud and fast _whoosh, whoosh_ sound filled the room. "Now we can hear the heart," Dr. Meadows announced. "Sounds good and strong."

It was almost too much for Alison to take in as she heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. She felt overwhelmed with emotion, knowing that any moment now, she'd most likely be crying. Happy tears, of course.

"Well, everything appears to be progressing nicely. You've got a healthy and growing baby inside of you."

Alison sighed a little sigh of relief. That was very good news.

Dr. Meadows smiled at the two, still completely mesmerized with the ultrasound image.

"I'll give you two a few minutes." Dr. Meadows said, then leaving the room to check on another patient.

"Rafe, could you get me a…" Alison turned around, seeing Rafe holding a tissue in front of her, as if he was reading her thoughts. "Thank you."

"Now I know why they keep a box in here," he laughed softly.

"Can you believe it, Rafe? That's our baby right there."

Rafe leaned forward to talk to her belly. "Hey there, little one."

Alison smiled. This was just the cutest thing!

"We're so excited to be able to see you for the first time. We can't wait to hold you. But don't you come out any sooner than you're ready to, okay?"

Alison laughed.

Just then, the baby moved it's little arm again, almost as if it was answering.

"Did you see that, Alison?"

"I did. I can't believe it can move like that already." Alison watched the screen, feeling tears well up in her eyes again. Then she felt Rafe beside her, kissing the side of head gently. Alison looked at him and smiled, closing the distance between them with a kiss. Then their eyes returned to the monitor, finding it almost impossible to look away from it for more than a few seconds.  

Before they left, Dr. Meadows promised them a video of the ultrasound, so they could watch it as often as they wanted to. And in the meantime, she gave them a couple of still images from it. Alison and Rafe sat on the couch in the waiting area, just staring at the photographs with awe.

Nearby, a nurse watched them and smiled. It was obvious that they were very much in love. It was as if they were oblivious to the world, thinking only of the new life that would soon bless their lives forever.

 


	60. Chapter 60

originally posted 3-14-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

60

~*~*~*~

Alison stood on the back porch, leaning against the railing. She took a deep breath, taking in the crisp air. Alison loved this time of year. It was so beautiful. The leaves were turning all sorts of colors as autumn came to Port Charles. Just then, the wind picked up, shaking the trees and causing a flurry of leaves to fall to the ground.

She heard Rafe clear his throat behind her.

Alison turned to him and smiled.

"What are you doing out here, Alison? It's kind of chilly."

"Just stepped out for some fresh air. Don't you just love this time of year?"

"Well do you think you could put on a sweater first?"

"I don't want to put on a sweater. Besides, it's not that cold."

"It's cold enough for a sweater. You should really put one on. The last thing you need right now is to be sick."

"Rafe, if you're so concerned about me being cold, than why don't you come warm me up yourself?"

"Well considering the fact that you're so stubborn that you refuse to wear a sweater, I might just have to."

Alison laughed as Rafe wrapped his arms around her from behind, then holding her tight.

"You know, I think you're right. It is a bit chilly out here. Maybe I should go inside."

"That might be a good idea," Rafe said.

"Yeah, and maybe you could think of more ways to uh...warm me up?" Alison turned around, facing Rafe and flashing him a sexy smile. Alison curled her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss that literally took the breath out of him for a moment or two.

Rafe led Alison into the house and they fell on the couch. Rafe kissed her hard on the mouth as if he couldn't get enough of her.

Truth be told, Rafe had really been enjoying Alison lately. Her morning sickness had completely disappeared, and Alison claimed she'd been feeling the best she ever had. And for some reason, the hormones that made her feel horrible a few weeks ago were suddenly making her feel, well, sexy now. And Rafe loved that.

Of course, those same hormones had also been making Alison have mood swings lately. He had to be careful around her. One minute, she'd be completely coming on to him, and the next minute, she'd be yelling at him about not taking out the trash.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Go away!" Rafe hollered.

Alison laughed, then pulling Rafe back to her lips.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"Ugh! What part of 'go away' don't they understand?" Alison complained.

"I'll get rid of them," Rafe said, getting up from the couch and walking over to the door.

Alison watched from the couch, eager for Rafe to hurry and get back to her. Rafe had a short conversation with a man and then shut the door.

"Well, who was it?"

Rafe held up a box for Alison to see. "Looks like you got a package."

"Ooo! I love packages! Bring it over!"

Rafe set the box on the floor and helped Alison tear the tape and open the box. Inside, there was a beautifully wrapped present buried in tons of packaging peanuts. Alison picked up the box, noticing the wrapping paper with pink and blue balloons all over it. "Aww, someone sent us a baby gift, Rafe!"

Rafe smiled as he watched Alison rip into the present. "What is it?"

"Oh my gosh…Rafe look at this! Isn't this so cute? It's a mobile!"

Alison tore the mobile out of its box to get a closer look. The mobile had little brown bears hanging from it, holding little ABC blocks. It was adorable!

"Let me see."

Alison handed the mobile over to Rafe. He had to admit, it was cute. "This would be good for a boy or a girl. Looks like it plays music too." Rafe found a tiny knob and wound it up, hearing soothing music start to play. "Oh that's nice. Once we get our crib, we'll set this up."

"No, we won't," Alison said, snatching the mobile away from Rafe.

"Alison…?"

Alison threw the mobile back into the box, along with all of the pink and blue wrapping paper. Rafe just watched in confusion as she suddenly picked it all up and walked towards the kitchen.

"Alison, what's wrong?"

"So sick of this!" she yelled, carrying the package out to the garage, then throwing it into the garbage receptacle. She slammed the lid shut, then walked back into the house without a word. A few seconds later, Rafe heard the bathroom door slam.

What in the world? Rafe thought. Something about that seemingly innocent baby gift had obviously made Alison very angry. Rafe went to the garbage and dug the present out. He took the mobile out of the box and looked at it again. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. As he put it back, he noticed a card lying in the heap of wrapping paper. He picked it up.  

_Dear Alison,_

_Mother Barrington told us all about your good news! Congratulations! Your father and I will visit at Christmas to see you and meet your husband! Love you, sweetie!_

_~Mom_

Anger came over Rafe. He should have known her parents would try something like this...again. Rafe ripped the card up and threw it back in the trash where it belonged.

Back inside, Alison still had herself holed up in the bathroom. Rafe knocked on the door softly. "Alison?"

A few seconds later, Alison opened the door. She smiled at him, obviously pretending like nothing was bothering her. "I'm hungry, how about you?"

"Alison…"

She walked to the bedroom, picking up an elastic hair bow and putting her hair up in a ponytail. "You want to stop by the Recovery Room for a bite to eat?"

"Alison, just stop. Come here, sit down." Rafe led her over to the bed. "I saw the card in the trash."

"I don't want to talk about this right now, Rafe." Alison hopped off the bed and went straight to the closet, looking for a different shirt to wear.

"Alison, I think we should. It obviously upset you."

"Upset?" Alison laughed nervously. "I'm not upset. I mean, I was a little mad about it at first but I'm over it now."

"Alison…"

"I mean, it's not like I'm going to fall for it this time. I'm not going to fall for it like I did when they promised they'd be here for the wedding." Alison started to break down. "Cause I mean, that would be…that would be stupid, you know? To believe they actually care about me."

Rafe wrapped his arms around her, and Alison gladly accepted him, burying her face in his shoulder as she started to cry. "Come on, let's sit down."

Rafe led Alison over to the bed. She looked up at him, hot tears running down her face. Rafe hated to see her like that.

"Am I going to be just like her?" she asked.

"Like who?"

"My mother. Am I going to just wake up one day and decide that I don't want to be burdened with the responsibilities of being a parent anymore?"

"Alison, why would you say something like that?"

"Because they say that children are just like their parents, you know? And it doesn't matter how hard you fight it, because one day, you wake up and realize that you're just like them."

"Alison, you're not like your mother."

"I'm not now."

"And you never will be. I don't believe for a second that you'd ever be like her. You're going to be a wonderful mother. Look at you. You're kind, and you're caring. This child doesn't know how lucky it's going to be to have you for a mother."

Alison started to cry softly again. Oh no, Rafe feared. Apparently, whatever he was saying wasn't helping. He was usually better at this.

"I wish I could have had that," she whispered.

Rafe realized what was bothering her. Of course, how could it not? Here she was, about to be a mother, and yet, she had never really had one. Rafe just held her for a while, letting her cry. Rafe reached for a tissue off the nightstand, handing it to her. Alison gave her nose a blow, and she seemed a little better after that.

And then, Rafe had an idea. He knew exactly how to bring a smile back to his angel's face.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because, I have something to give you. I'm really not supposed to give this to you until you have the baby but…what the hell?" Rafe laughed, then hopped off the bed and went over to the nightstand. Alison looked on, wondering what he was up to. Rafe opened the drawer and took out a little box.

"What's in the box?"

"Something that I hope is your size." Rafe took out a gold ring from the box. In the center was a striking emerald with two smaller princess cut diamonds on each side.

"Rafe…oh my god, that's beautiful." Alison held out her hand, letting Rafe slide the ring on. "And it fits!" Alison cheered.

"It's perfect."

Alison looked at the ring closer. "Oh…that really is beautiful."

"It was my mother's."

Alison smiled. "Really?"

"There's a story behind this ring. Do you want to hear it?"

Alison shook her head yes.

"Well, this ring once belonged to my great-great grandmother on my mother's side. Her name was Paula. And there was one thing that she wanted the most, and that was to be a mother. But the problem was that she had tried for a whole two years and she still didn't have a child. Well one day, she met this eccentric man at a market somewhere, and he sold her this ring. He told her that the emerald in the ring would cure her infertility and bring good luck to whoever wore it. Now whether that's true or not, believe what you want. But nevertheless, she bought the ring. And two months later, she conceived a child."

"Wow, maybe this ring does bring good luck."

"Maybe, I don't know. But I do know that this ring was very special to her. Whenever she would look at it, it would remind her of this wonderful miracle she was blessed to have."

"That's such a sweet story, Rafe."

"Oh, the story isn't over yet. She gave this ring to her daughter when she had her first child. She told her the story of the ring and how it brought her good fortune. So it's been a tradition in my family. This ring has been passed down to all of the first-born daughters when they have their first child. And my grandmother gave my mother this ring the night I was born. But unfortunately, my mother never had any daughters to pass the ring to."

"So you want me to have it?"

"My mother wants you to have it. When she was dying, she gave me this ring and told me to give it to the woman I loved. She was sad that she didn't have a daughter to give this to, but she knew that whoever I fell in love with, she'd love just as much as if she were her own daughter. So, in a sense, this is really a gift from my mother."

Alison began to cry again, although Rafe sensed that she was happy this time. "I would be honored to have this ring. I wish I could have known your mother. I think I would have liked her."

"You would. And she would have loved you."

"Rafe, I don't think you ever told me how your mother died. I know you said she was sick, but I don't know of what."

"It was a brain tumor," Rafe said softly. He didn't know why he had never told Alison about that, but he figured now was just as good as any. "She'd been getting a lot of headaches, but she didn't think much of it. And by the time the doctors realized what it was, it was too late. They wanted to put her through radiation and all of that, but my mother refused it. She knew it was all in vain and besides, she didn't want to spend the last weeks of her life sick from treatment that wouldn't work. I was holding her hand when she died."

"Rafe, I'm so sorry. That must have been so hard for you."

"It was. But I was glad that my mother wasn't suffering anymore. I knew she was in heaven with my father."

"You were thirteen when she died, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, we need to stop this," Alison announced after a silence fell upon the room. "I'm sad, you're sad."

"We should go out and get our minds off of this," Rafe agreed.

"You know, I really am hungry. Recovery Room?"

"No, we eat there all the time. I think we should go somewhere classy tonight. Maybe someplace we don't go to as often."

"Hmm, well, we could go to Mario's. I suddenly have a craving for some spaghetti and meatballs…with parmesan cheese and lots of it!"

Rafe smiled. "Parmesan cheese? You don't usually eat a lot of that."

"Yeah, but the baby wants it bad! He or she must take after you!"

Rafe laughed. "Mario's it is then."

Alison hopped off the bed, giving Rafe a quick kiss. "I'll go get my coat."

As Rafe walked out the room, he paused for a moment and looked up. "Thank you, mother. She loves the ring."

"Rafe, are you coming?! I'm hungry!"

"Coming!" he called out, then raced to the living room to catch up with Alison, who was already out the door.

 


	61. Chapter 61

originally posted 3-16-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

61

~*~*~*~

Rafe stood in the doorway of the kitchen, unnoticed, just watching Alison as she sat at the table. He couldn't believe what she was doing! He waited for her to stop, but after a few minutes, he couldn't take it anymore! That's it, he decided…he was going to have a talk with her about it.

"Alison, what are you doing?"

Alison held up the catalog she was looking through. "Maternity clothes!" she said excitedly. "They have some really cute stuff. I'm thinking about getting this red dress. What do you think?"

"It looks nice, but that's not what I was talking about."

Alison gave him a confused look.

"What do you think you're eating?" he asked her, his tone of voice very serious.

"Potato chips. What does it look like?" Alison said, as if it were a ridiculous question.

"You think that's a good idea?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she said, getting defensive.

Rafe grabbed the bag from the table and looked at the nutrition facts. "Look at this, Alison. Total fat: 11g. Saturated fat: 3g. Sodium: 210 mg! You really think this is good for the baby?"

Alison rose from her seat and snatched the bag away from him. Oh he was not going to start questioning her eating habits now! "Where do you get off questioning what I eat?"

Oh dear, he had done it. He had made her angry. Okay, maybe not the smartest thing in the world to do right now, but really, what was she thinking? Potato chips? No, no, no. If she was going to snack on something when she was pregnant, he was going to make sure it was something healthy. "Alison, look, I'm just looking out for you. You really have to watch what you eat, especially now. And I just think you could pick something a little more healthier to eat than potato chips."

"But, Rafe, it's not like this is the only thing I'm eating. A few chips aren't going to hurt. And besides, I'm craving salty foods like _crazy_ right now!"

"Alison…"

"Seriously, Rafe, I read in one of those books about pregnancy cravings, and you know what they said?"

"I have a feeling you're going to tell me."

"It said that the reason why they think pregnant women have so many cravings is because that's the body's way of letting the mother know that the baby needs a little something extra. It makes a lot of sense."

"Alison, I seriously doubt the baby's trying to tell you that it needs clogged arteries."

"No, you're wrong. The body actually does need things like sodium, in moderation of course, and obviously, I must be low on it, so that's why I'm craving salty foods." Alison took a round chip out of the bag and popped it into her mouth happily.

"The body also needs vitamin C."

Alison ate another chip, her eyes just daring him to make her stop.

Now HE was getting angry. She wasn't even going to stop and consider the thought of eating something else! "Alison, please eat something a little healthier than chips. Do it for the baby."

Alison rubbed her belly. "Hmm, no. The baby wants chips." Alison ate another chip, crunching on it rather loudly.

That was it. He had it! "You are too stubborn!" he snapped, snatching the bag away from Alison. He walked over to the trash and threw it into the bin, then grabbed an apple from the fruit basket on the counter. "Have an apple!" he said, forcing the apple in her hand and storming out of the room.

Alison just stood there, her mouth still wide open. "I can't believe he just did that. Ooo, you are so going to pay for that, Rafe Kovich." Alison looked at the green apple in her hand and took an angry bite out of it.

~*~*~*~

Hours had passed, and Rafe had forgotten all about the chip incident, but Alison hadn't. Who did he think he was, Alison thought as she pulled the covers over her. To be a little mad at her over eating salty chips…she might be able to understand. But to have actually thrown them away in the trash can? Well now that was clearly taking it too far.

Rafe walking into the bedroom, having just brushed his teeth and ready for bed himself. He looked over at Alison and smiled. There she was, all tucked up and ready to sleep. Rafe slowly climbed into bed. He leaned forward to give Alison a kiss.

Alison threw the covers over her a little tighter, moving away from Rafe.

Rafe, shocked from Alison's cold reception, wondered what the heck was going on. "Alison?"

No answer. Okay, she was giving him the cold shoulder. Obviously, she was mad at him.

"Alison, are you mad at me?"

No answer again, which meant she wasn't mad at him…she was FURIOUS at him. That was never a good thing.

"Alison?"

"I'm not talking to you!"

Oh boy. Yep, she was definitely livid. Why was she so mad at him? Rafe thought back, thinking of their last argument. With her mood swings lately, they'd been getting into a lot of them lately. The chips, he suddenly remembered. Yeah, that had to be it.

"You can't still be mad over those potato chips, are you?"

Alison turned around to look at Rafe. The look on her face told it all. "How DARE you throw MY chips into the garbage like that!"

Ouch.

"Okay, I admit…I was a little out of line when I did that…"

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot." He had a feeling he would regret doing that.

"You know, if you would have asked me nicely, I would have ate the apple gladly! But you didn't have to get all controlling and throw them away like that!"

"You're right, I shouldn't have done that! I'll buy you a new bag if that'll make you happy."

"Make me happy? No that won't make me happy! Rafe! You don't get it! That's not the reason I'm mad at you!"

Hmm, it wasn't? Rafe decided to keep his mouth shut…he was only making the situation worse.

"How could you possibly think I'd ever do anything to hurt this little baby?" Alison put her hand protectively over her belly, her eyes welling up with tears.

Rafe had to say something now…she was about to cry. "Alison, I wasn't trying to make you think you were hurting the baby."

"Well you did," Alison sniffled. "God, Rafe, do you really think I just go around eating junk food all day? Don't you think I've been watching what I eat? I've been watching that closer than anything else! But, Rafe, it's the truth, I have been craving salty foods, and the one time I give into it, you jump all over my case. It's like you thought I could care less about the baby's health."

"Alison…angel, I'm so sorry! I was never trying to make you think that you didn't care about the baby's health. I'm just worried about you, that's all. God, Alison, you drive me crazy, you know that? I worry about you all the time. And now that you're pregnant, I'm worried about both of you. All the time, this constant feeling that something's going to happen. I just want everything to be okay. I'm sorry about earlier, I really am. I just saw you eating chips and I thought that it'd be better to eat something like fruit…I just overreacted. I'm sorry."

Alison wanted to stay mad at him…she really did. But she never could. Just look at his face…look at those eyes! Those puppy dog eyes, begging for forgiveness. Yeah, she never really could stay mad at him for too long.

"You do forgive me, right?"

Alison smiled, and then decided that she could use this to her advantage.

"Hmm, I don't know."

"Alison, really, I'll never question your eating habits again."

"Never?"

"Well, I'll try not to nag you as much," Rafe admitted.

"Tell you what. I will forgive you, but under one condition."

"Okay, what's that?"

"You owe me another bag of chips. Wait…make that TWO bags."

"All right, two it is. So now…do you forgive me?"

Alison looked at those eyes, just begging her to say yes. "Yes, I forgive you. But don't ever do it again!"

Rafe laughed, glad that they had finally made peace with the issue. "So…now can I kiss you?"

Alison smiled. "You better."

Rafe moved closer to her, pulling her in for a kiss.

Yeah…he'd definitely never do that again, well, he'd try not to at least. Although making up was pretty fun. He was sure he'd be doing that again.

 


	62. Chapter 62

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to remind everyone that in my story, Ed was never Rafe's father.

originally posted 3-21-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

62

~*~*~*~

Alison was content on the couch, her nose buried in _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ , her hand buried in a bag of Lay's potato chips, which she had managed to hide from Rafe. Even though he promised to stop bothering her about her eating choices, she didn't want to risk it. She hadn't been expecting company, so she jumped when the doorbell rang. Alison put down her book, hid the chips under a pillow, and skipped over to the door.

"Hello," Alison said cheerfully at the door.

"Hello, ma'am," said the tall man wearing a UPS uniform. "I have a package for Rafe Kovich."

"Oh, I'm his wife. I'll sign for it."

The UPS man handed her a clipboard, noted where her signature was needed, and Alison took his pen and scribbled her name on the line. "There you go," she said, handing his pen and clipboard back to him.

"It's a fairly large and heavy box, ma'am. Would you like me to carry it in for you?"

Alison looked down, just now noticing the brown package. "Oh yes, please. If you don't mind."

"Not at all." He carefully picked up the package and carried it into the house as if it weighed nothing at all.

"You can just set it down here," Alison said, pointing to the spot in front of the fireplace.

The man put the box down as Alison instructed, then gave her a smile. "Have a good one."

"You too, and thank you."

Alison saw the UPS man out, then raced back over to the package. Who on earth was sending Rafe a package? And what was in it? Rafe hadn't told her he was expecting a package. Alison wondered what it could be.

Maybe it was a surprise, Alison thought. Had Rafe ordered something special for her? Or maybe it was something for the baby? Alison's curiosity started to get the best of her. As her fingers tried to lift the box flaps held down by strong packaging tape, she noticed the return address.

Transylvania.

"Transylvania?" Alison said aloud. This was odd. Why was someone in Transylvania sending Rafe a package - and a heavy one at that? Was it someone from his past? Maybe an old friend? But Rafe, as far as she knew, had lost touch with everyone he knew in Transylvania. Besides, they had all thought he had disappeared eleven years ago.

Alison walked back over to the couch, her eyes still on the box. She would wait and let Rafe open it. But she had to admit - it was driving her crazy, this urge to tear the box open and to find out what was inside.

Rafe had said he'd be home by 5 o'clock, but 5 o'clock came and went, and it was now 5:12. Alison looked at the box again, itching to just grab the scissors and cut the tape holding it closed.

And finally, she heard that all too familiar sound of a car pulling into the driveway and a car door being shut. Rafe was home!

Alison opened the door before Rafe had even reached the porch. "Hey, sweetheart! I'm so glad you're home!"

Rafe smiled, giving her a kiss as he walked through the doorway. "Me too, angel. So, how was your day? You got plenty of rest I hope."

"My day was good, and I got rest, I promise. And guess what!"

"What?"

"A package arrived for you today! A BIG package!" Alison pointed to the box across the room, and Rafe's eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement.

"It's here! I didn't think it would be here so soon!"

"Well what is it? I've been _dying_ to open it!" Alison happily handed him the scissors, which she had dug out of the kitchen drawer hours ago.

Rafe walked over to the box and started to open it. "Well, you remember the other day when we were talking about my mother?"

"Yeah."

"Well it reminded me that I had a lot of her belongings still in storage, so I sent for them."

"Your mother's things? Oh, how exciting!"

"A lot of things, like her clothes, I gave away to charity when she died, because she would have wanted it that way. But some of her things…well, I just couldn't part with."

Rafe had finally cut the tape and lifted the flaps. Alison peered into the box, just as excited, if not, more so, than Rafe was at the box's contents.

Tons of newspaper and bubble wrap covered several fragile items. Rafe and Alison each picked up something and unwrapped it. Alison felt giddy with excitement…it was like unwrapping a birthday present. And she was so anxious to see what kinds of things Katrina Kovich had owned.

Rafe and Alison had uncovered picture frames. Alison held a picture of an exquisitely beautiful woman. She had dark hair and dark eyes, but nothing about her demeanor was dark at all. Her eyes and smile radiated with warmth, love, and happiness. Rafe didn't have to tell her that this was his mother, for she could see his smile reflecting back at her in the woman's face.

"Oh, Rafe, oh my god, she's so beautiful," she gasped. "I know you said she was but, seeing her now, well…I bet she won all of the beauty pageants!"

Rafe smiled. "I guess you now know where I got my good looks from, huh?" he laughed.

"I definitely see a resemblance. What's that one you have?"

Rafe showed her the picture he held. It was another one of Katrina, but in this one, she hadn't been posing. In fact, it looked as if she had been unaware someone was taking her picture at all. Katrina stood in a garden, smelling a rose on a bush. Both pictures were in black and white, making them seem as if a professional photographer had took them, leaving them colorless for an artistic effect.

"Is that a pink rose?" Alison asked hopefully.

"You know, strange enough, I think it was a pink rose. How's that for coincidence?" He grinned at Alison. "My mother kept a garden in the backyard. She had all kinds of flowers. Roses were her favorite too. I can't believe I never told you that."

Alison smiled, loving that she shared this with Katrina.

"Let's see what else is in here," Rafe said.

"Picture albums!" Alison squealed, taking out one and opening it.

Rafe recognized the album, and he remembered the pictures in it. He waited for Alison's reaction.

"RAFE!"

Rafe laughed to himself. He knew she'd be excited over them.

Alison could feel her heartbeat accelerate as she held in her hands pictures of Katrina, smiling, laughing, and holding the most beautiful baby boy she had ever seen in her arms.

"I've never seen you as a baby before…" Alison said, smiling at him.

There were more pictures too. One was of infant Rafe sleeping in his crib. On the white space at the bottom of the photograph, "Rafe - 2 months" was scribbled in cursive writing.

There were also pictures of a man. Rafe's father, she presumed. While Rafe had definitely inherited his mother's smile, he had gotten everything else from his father. He was handsome, no doubt about that, and his body structure and sandy-colored hair were similar to Rafe's. And Alison could now see where Rafe's hazel-colored eyes had come from.

But the pictures that interested her the most were those of Rafe. She turned the page, revealing more pictures of him as the months went by. Rafe stood in one of the photos, holding on to the edge of a table in nothing but a diaper. "Rafe - 10 Months" was scribbled at the bottom.

"Rafe, you were an adorable baby!"

Rafe smiled, knowing this would be her reaction.

Alison pointed to a picture of Rafe sitting on the floor with toys surrounding him. "If this baby's a boy, he'll look just like his daddy. I know it. We'll put his picture right next to this one and you won't be able to tell who is who!" Alison laughed.

As she turned the page, she saw one that quickly became her favorite. "I really love this one!" Alison pointed to one of Rafe being held by Katrina, and his father standing beside them. "Can I take this one out?"

"Sure."

Alison lifted the plastic sheet carefully and took the photo out. "You look like such a happy family."

"We were. And that's how we'll be too."

Alison turned the photo over out of curiosity. In the same cursive handwriting as on Rafe's baby pictures, someone had written: The Kovich Family - Gabriel, Katrina, and Rafe.

"Gabriel, Katrina, and Rafe," Alison said aloud. "Your father's name was Gabriel?"

"Yeah. My grandfather named him. He thought he should have a good strong name since he was a slayer. It means 'hero of God'.

"Your father looks just like you. We should frame this one."

"Maybe when the baby is born, we'll take a picture of the three of us just like that and put it right next to that one."

Alison's eyes lit up. "I love it!"

Alison decided that it would take a while to go through all of the photo albums, so she set them aside to look at them later. Looking in the box again, some flowery print fabric caught her eye. Alison picked it up and saw that it was a scarf.

"This is beautiful!" Alison draped the scarf around her neck.

"That was my mother's favorite scarf. She wore it all the time. I almost forgot what it looked like." Rafe touched the delicate fabric, remembering how soft it was. "It looks beautiful on you. Keep it."

"Really?"

"I'm not going to wear it," Rafe laughed.

"Well I will. I love it. Your mother has very good taste."

Buried at the bottom of the box, Rafe and Alison found many more treasures and keepsakes. There were some old letters, some love letters, others between Katrina and her friends. They found several hair bows and a brush, which still had a few strands of Katrina's dark, wavy hair in it. There was a handkerchief, worn from many years of use. There was even an antique music box that Rafe said his mother would play for him to lull him to sleep when he was a child.

"Oh I remember this!" Rafe exclaimed, pulling out what looked like a miniature dresser. "It's my mother's jewelry box. She always kept this on her vanity table." Rafe pulled out one of the tiny drawers at the bottom of it, revealing earrings, bracelets, rings, and a few stones that had fallen out of other jewelry pieces.

Alison opened the little door on the box. Inside were tiny hooks that beautiful necklaces hung from. Alison ran her fingers through all of them. They were gorgeous.

"This all looks like antique jewelry."

"It is. It was all handed down from my mother's grandmother, my great-grandmother. Oh but this…" Rafe picked up a gold chain hanging from the hook and showed it to Alison. It was a heart-shaped locket. "Now this…this was actually a gift from my father to my mother. My mother always wore this." Rafe opened the locket to reveal a picture of Katrina inside, a picture of Gabriel on the other side. "My father gave this to my mother on their wedding night. He told her that any time he was gone, any time he was out fighting evil and she was worried about him, or if she missed him, to just hold this close to her heart and he would always be with her. And when my father was killed, she never took it off. Not once."

Alison felt tears sting her eyes. Katrina and Gabriel seemed to have such a romantic love story, not much unlike her own with Rafe. It was such a tragedy that Gabriel died so young.

"Well anyway," Rafe said, breaking the silence that had suddenly come over the room. "Let's see what else is in here."

At the bottom of the box, there were old books, some of Katrina's favorites, since she loved to read. There was also a bible, and oddly enough, some shells. Rafe explained that one time, his father took her to the ocean, which she had never seen before. But they couldn't stay long, because people at home needed them, so she took the shells home so she would always remember that day.

Rafe dug some papers out of the box. As he browsed through them, some more books caught Alison's eye. Alison picked them up, but then realized that they weren't books at all. They were journals. And seven of them! Alison grinned. Now she knew where Rafe has inherited his love for writing.

"Hey, Rafe, look."

Rafe looked up and smiled. "Oh I remember those. My mother was always writing in her journal."

Alison started to open one, but stopped. She looked over at Rafe. "Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think your mother would mind if I read them?"

Rafe shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Besides, you did say you wish you could have known my mother, right? You'll definitely know what kind of person she was from reading those."

"Have you read them?"

"No, but I'm sure there's nothing in there that I don't already know. She probably wrote a lot about my father."

"And you?"

"Yeah."

Alison smiled. "Well I think I shall enjoy reading these." Alison picked up the journals and set them aside. Later tonight, she would start reading them. And even though she'd never met Katrina Kovich, at least she could find out a little more about her. She had to be an amazing person. Just look at her son.

 


	63. Chapter 63

originally posted 3-27-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

63

~*~*~*~

That evening as Rafe took a shower, Alison climbed into bed with one of Katrina's journals. The journal's cover was made of brown leather, which looked pretty worn from being several years old. Alison ran her fingers over the leather, noticing the name "Katrina Antonescu" was written in black ink on the top right corner. Her maiden name, Alison realized. This journal had obviously been written before she became a Kovich. She decided that it would be best to read them in order, so Alison double-checked the entry date on the first page. Alison recognized the cursive handwriting right away. It was the same from the photographs.  

_July 12, 1973_

_This has been, without a doubt, the most terrifying night of my life. If I hadn't have seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it…_

~*~*~*~

Seventeen-year-old Katrina Antonescu opened the door and looked outside. The sky was dark, and the wind was picking up. A storm was approaching.

"Hannah," she called out, closing the door and putting on her shoes. "I think I'm going to head home. Looks like a storm is coming."

"You're leaving? But, Katrina, it's late. I don't think you should walk home by yourself. What about the vampires?" her friend warned.

"Hannah, for the last time, there's no such thing as a vampire! Vampires are just some silly creation of an author with an overactive imagination. Probably someone who liked to wander around the cemetery on foggy evenings. The next thing you'll tell me is that you believe in werewolves."

"Kat…"

"Hannah, have you ever seen a vampire?"

"No," she admitted.

"Well there you go."

"You believe in angels, but you've never seen them either!"

"That's different."

"How is that different?"

"It just is. Now I really should go."

"But it's dark outside. Can't you wait here for a while? My brother will be home soon, and he can escort you home."

"There's no telling when your brother will be home, and if I don't leave now, I'll get caught up in the rain. Besides, it's only ten minutes up the road. I've gone that way many times before."

"I know, but yesterday's paper said that…"

"Oh, forget what you hear in the news. What happened to that girl was tragic, yes, but it was no work of a vampire."

"But there were bite marks on her neck! Now you tell me how BITE MARKS are no work of a vampire!"

_Thunder roars_

Katrina sighed. "Hannah, you really can't believe everything you read. People write things like that to sell papers. It's all made up. Now I must run. Bye, Hannah." Katrina gathered her things, giving her friend a hug before she left.

"Please be safe," Hannah warned, closing the door with a fearful look on her face.

The wind whipped through the trees as Katrina walked down the path through the woods. It wasn't too dark, as several streetlights along the road illuminated the dirt path. But nevertheless, Katrina started to feel a little uneasy and quickened her pace. Maybe Hannah had been right. Maybe she should have waited for her brother. But it was too late to go back now. She'd just look like an idiot. Besides, she was already halfway home.

A loud crash of thunder startled Katrina, making her drop her books. She bent down, picking them up. As she got back on her feet, a terrifying streak of lighting lit up the sky. In the flash of light, she suddenly saw him.

Funny, she thought. She hadn't heard any footsteps. It was as if he appeared out of nowhere. Katrina glanced at him only briefly, choosing to go on her way and ignore him. He looked pretty seedy, and something about him rubbed her the wrong way.

But ignoring him wasn't an option, as he suddenly moved in front of Katrina, blocking her path. "Well hello," he said in a deep voice.

"Hello," Katrina said shyly, then walking around him, hoping to get away from this man, not wanting to have a conversation with him. She did not like his eyes. They were so incredibly dark.

He moved in front of her again, determined to not let her pass just yet. "What's a pretty young woman like you doing walking by herself at night?"

"I'm on my way home, and I'm in a hurry, so if you'll just excuse me…"

"It's pretty dangerous around here at night. You really shouldn't walk home by yourself."

"It's just up the road. Now will you let me pass? I'd really like to get home before the storm hits."

He moved in front of her again, ignoring her request for him to leave her alone. "I recognize you from somewhere. Where is it though? Oh yeah, now I remember. You're that pretty girl that lives in the white house up the hill, aren't you?" He looked Katrina up and down, smirking at her.

"I don't know you," Katrina muttered, starting to get angry.

"Well perhaps we should remedy that," he said, taking hold of her arm.

"Leave me alone!" Katrina yelled, snatching her arm away from him as she took off running. She dropped her books in the process, but at this point, all she cared about was getting away from him!

The lightening flashed again, and for a brief moment, Katrina thought he had finally took the hint. She stopped to catch her breath, her side starting to ache and her heart pounding in her chest.

Katrina's relief was short-lived. There he stood, blocking her path once again. She had watched him appear right in front of her, and that shocked Katrina more than anything.

"How did you do that?" she asked, her voice shaking with fear.

He grinned. "It's easy…"

Katrina watched him as he suddenly vanished into thin air.

"When you're a vampire," he whispered, his hot breath against the back of her neck.

Katrina screamed loudly, and his hand went to her mouth, forcing her to be silent. "Shh," he warned.

Katrina went limp in his arms, taking him by surprise. As she struggled to crawl and kick herself away, he once again took hold of her, laying her on her back and pushing her to the ground. "This would go a lot easier if you would just cooperate," he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Katrina struggled beneath him, determined to get him off of her.

"Stop fighting it. You might like it." He grinned widely at her, and then bared his fangs.

Even though he had her pinned down pretty good, somehow, Katrina managed to bring her knee up. She gave him a swift kick right where it hurts.

"OHH!" he yelled, letting his hold on her go as the pain stunned him for a moment. "You're a feisty one, aren't you?" he laughed.

Katrina managed to pull away from his grasp and got to her feet. But before she could even make it two steps, he had her in his grip again.

"No one does that to me and lives to tell about it," he snapped, his voice full of anger now. He was going to get what he wanted.

Katrina cried, closing her eyes tightly, preparing herself for whatever was about to come.

And then, he suddenly released his hold on her.

Katrina turned around just in time to hear him cry out in pain as he fell to the ground with a thud. A stake was buried deep in his chest, his blood oozing out everywhere. His eyes were eerily wide open, even though his body lay on the ground lifeless.

The young girl barely had enough time to get her bearings when she heard his voice.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

"What?"

"I asked if you were okay, Miss."

Katrina looked up, seeing his face for the first time. She could barely speak. She struggled to catch her breath. "Define okay."

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

Katrina looked at herself. She was a little dirty, but no cuts or anything. "I don't think so. Just a little shook up, that's all." She looked down again at the dead body at her feet, feeling a chill go up her spine at the sight of him. "I didn't think they were real."

"You're lucky. Two seconds later, I wouldn't have been able to help you." He reached down and pulled the stake out of his chest. Katrina watched in amazement as the vampire disappeared, leaving nothing but dust.

It was then that she came to the realization of it all. She looked up at the kind man and stared into his hazel-colored eyes, not knowing how precisely to describe what she was feeling. "You saved my life."

He just shrugged it off. "I just did what had to be done. Please, I'm no hero."

"What, are you kidding me? You saved my life! Of course you're a hero." She smiled at him. Not only was he a hero, he was also very handsome!

He smiled back at her. "Well, you're welcome. I'm glad I could help. What's your name?"

Katrina suddenly went blank. Name? What was her name?! "Katrina. Katrina Antonescu."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Katrina. What a beautiful name." He smiled at her, taking her hand in his and giving it a kiss.

Katrina blushed, vowing silently to herself to never wash that hand again.

"I'm Gabriel Kovich."

Kovich, she thought. Why did that name sound so familiar?

"These yours?" he asked, picking a few books off the ground.

"What?" Katrina asked, finding it hard to concentrate on much of anything, except his eyes.

"These books."

"Oh, yeah, those are mine. Thank you."

The sky rumbled with more thunder, lighting flashing seconds later. It began to sprinkle.

Gabriel looked up to the sky, knowing they didn't have much time. "How far away is your home?"

"Not far. Just up the road at the end of the path."

"Well the weather's about to get real bad. Let me walk you home."

"Okay," Katrina agreed, thankful that she wouldn't be by herself after the ordeal she had just experienced.

"You've got be careful in these woods," he said as they walked down the path together. "Even though it may look pretty safe, there are all sorts of dangers out there."

"Your name sounds so familiar. We don't know each other, do we?"

Gabriel looked at her and smiled. "No. I think I would remember a pretty face like yours. I'm sure you just recognize my name from living around here. I'm Transylvania's one and only vampire slayer."

"Vampire slayer?"

"Yeah, that thing I just did back there. That's what I do. It's my calling. My family's been fighting evil like that for centuries."

"Oh of course, that's where I've heard your name before. Well I must apologize to you then."

"Apologize?"

"I thought your whole family was mental. Going around, talking about how killing vampires was your life mission. That was of course, back when I thought vampires didn't exist."

Gabriel laughed. "No apology necessary. I'm sure everyone thinks that until they realize the truth."

"How many are there?"

"What? Vampires or slayers?"

"Vampires."

"Too many to count. The number grows every night. They're everywhere."

"My goodness! Well don't you feel like you're fighting a losing battle?"

"Actually, there's one vampire in particular I'm looking for. And once I get him, I'll have the upper hand in all of this."

Katrina had so many more questions to ask him, but she was at home now. They stood on her porch as she got out her keys.

"Thank you for walking me home."

"You're welcome."

By now, the rain began to fall harder. "Why don't you come in? You could stay and wait out the storm."

"I'd like to, but I can't. I really need to go. Vampires don't stop for the rain."

"Oh, well alright then. Be safe, and thanks again for coming to my rescue."

"Will you be okay?"

"Should I put garlic on the door?" she asked earnestly.

Gabriel laughed softly. "No, that won't be necessary. But listen, don't invite anyone you don't know into your house, especially someone you suspect to be a vampire. Vampires can't enter a home without being invited in first. And once invited, he can come and go as he pleases. You'll be safe here as long as you remember that."

"Okay."

"But look…" Gabriel reached into his pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper. "Got a pen?"

"Yeah." Katrina reached into purse, pulling one out.

Gabriel took the pen and began to scribble a number on the paper. "If you ever need me, for whatever reason. You're scared, you need someone to walk you home, you just want to talk…just call me, okay? I don't care if it's three in the morning or whatever. Anytime."

Katrina smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, I need to run. It was lovely meeting you, Katrina." Gabriel took her hand once again, kissing it gently.

"You too."

Gabriel smiled at her, and then dashed off into the night. He was getting soaked, but it looked like the rain didn't faze him.

Katrina went inside, leaning against the door after she closed it. A smile formed on her lips. She didn't care if he said otherwise…he was definitely a hero.

~*~*~*~

"That must be a fascinating read," Rafe said with a smile, sitting on the bed beside Alison.

Alison smiled back at him. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"About five minutes. You haven't looked up once. So what are you reading about?"

"How your mother and father met."

"Oh yeah. When my father saved her from a vampire when she was walking home."

"You know about it?"

"My mother told me everything about him. I guess it was just her way of making sure I wouldn't forget him."

"You're a lot like him, you know?"

Rafe laughed. "You haven't even read the whole journal. You already know my father that well?"

"I don't have to read the whole journal to know that you're just like him. You're both really good at saving people. You saved me too when we first met."

"I had to. I wasn't about to let you die."

Alison moved closer to Rafe, putting her arms around him. "You're my hero, you know."

"Well you're my angel," he said with a smile, then kissing her as they fell on the bed together.

 


	64. Chapter 64

originally posted 4-9-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

64

~*~*~*~

 

_Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom Boom!_

"Ugh…" Alison groaned, patting the sheets on Rafe's side of the bed. "Rafe, get the door. Rafe?" Alison opened her eyes, realizing that Rafe wasn't there. He was out running. "Great," she muttered as she stumbled out of bed, still half asleep.

_Ding Dong, Ding Dong! Boom Boom Boom!_

"I'm coming! Keep your shirt on," she grumbled. Alison glanced at the clock on the wall. Seven-thirty! This had better be important.

Alison fumbled with the lock and opened the door. This was so much easier to do when she was awake.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" Don said in a voice that was WAY too chipper for this early on a Saturday morning.

Alison had to blink her eyes. What the hell was going on here? "Don?"

"I'm not Frank Bielec from _Trading Spaces_ , but I'm the next best thing!" Don didn't wait for an invitation as he walked past Alison carrying what looked like wallpaper and color samples. "Now, I'll just need to know where the baby's room will be."

"Um…the room at the end of the hall," she answered, since it was more polite than _What the hell are you doing here?_

Alison looked outside and saw Lucy coming up the walkway. "Lucy?"

"Alison! Oh, good, you're awake!" she said as she walked into the house.

 _Barely_ she wanted to say. Was she the only one aware of the time here? "Lucy, what are you doing here?"

"We're here to help you decorate the nursery of course! Where's that cousin of mine?"

"Morning run."

"Lucy! This is fantastic!" Don said as he ran back into the living room with an excited expression on his face. "The sunlight in there!"

"Oh I know! Isn't it perfect!"

"What's the baby, boy or girl?" Don asked, turning to Alison.

"We don't want to know…"

"Actually, that's okay! We don't need to know! I've got a great idea in mind!"

Lucy turned to Alison and smiled. "Alison, why don't we let you go get dressed, and Don and I will go ahead and started?"

"Um..."

"Come look at these color samples…" Don said to Lucy as they headed off towards the nursery, without giving Alison so much as a second glance.

Alison stepped outside and looked down the road. Where was that husband of hers? "RAFE!"

~*~*~*~

When Rafe got back from his run, he saw Alison sitting on the couch waiting for him, already dressed, and not looking too happy at the moment.

"Is Lucy here?" he asked with a confused expression. "Her car's outside."

"Lucy _and_ Don." Alison walked over to Rafe and lowered her voice. "You want to tell me what the hell is going on?"

Rafe looked at Alison guiltily. "I might have slipped to Lucy that we hadn't decorated the nursery yet."

"Rafe! They were over here pounding at the door at seven-thirty! Now they're in there discussing color schemes and the light!"

"Oh boy."

"Yeah, 'oh boy' is right! Rafe, I don't mind if Lucy wants to help but…I thought we were going to do this together. She's in there taking over everything!"

"Okay, I'll go stop her."

"Yes, please do!"

Rafe walked down the hallway to the nursery to find Lucy and Don clearing all of the furniture out of the room. "Lucy. Don."

"Cousin! Oh good, you're back! We were just getting started."

"Kind of early though, isn't it?"

"Well the earlier we start, the more we'll get accomplished today!"

"Listen…I've got an idea. Why don't we get some breakfast cooked up and we can all discuss our ideas together. Instead of just, you know, jumping right in and putting paint on the walls. Besides, Alison is a little tired this morning. I don't think we should rush her or anything right now. Don't want to stress her out, you know?"

"Well actually, I'm not all that hungry right now…" Lucy started.

"Breakfast sounds good!" Don interjected. "I can whip up crepes for everyone! Bet you didn't know I also minored in the culinary arts."

"No, but that doesn't surprise me, Don," Rafe admitted.

"Is there anything this man can't do?" Lucy said with a smile.

~*~*~*~

At first, Alison had been a little hesitant to let Lucy and Don help with the decorating in fear they would take over everything, but now, she was really glad they were here. Don had brought a book full of pictures of different nursery room samples, which had been quite interesting to look at. Don was also very good at offering some insights about interior design.

"Now the key to the perfect nursery is to not make it babyish at all. I know what you're thinking…isn't that the point of it? But actually, you want to create a room that can grow with your child. Like for instance, having pastel ducks would be really cute now, but try to convince your five-year-old son that when he's really into race cars and power rangers."

"What do you mean ducks wouldn't be cute?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Not to any five-year-old I know."

"I disagree! Hmmph!"

"So anyway…" Don continued, "You want to pick something you can use for years. Now, to wall color…"

"Wall color?" Rafe asked. "What's wrong with the color on there now?"

"Rafe, it's beige!" Lucy said, as if her cousin couldn't see that for himself. "You need some color!"

"Since you don't want to know the baby's sex, pink and blue are out, so I'd say go with something neutral, maybe a pale yellow or a light green."

"Ooo! You could do like, an outdoorsy theme!" Lucy chimed in. "You could have a mural with a garden and grass and flowers! And you could paint a little pond with frogs and dragonflies…and DUCKS!"

"Or a sunshine theme!" Don added. "Some yellow would really accentuate the room's natural lighting."

"Or you could do under the sea!" Lucy said enthusiastically. "You could paint an ocean on the wall! You could have little fish and seahorses and dolphins! And mermaids! Christina just loves that little mermaid!"

"Or how about we just look through these books for a while?" Alison suggested. She couldn't focus on anything with Don and Lucy bombarding her with ideas all at once.

"So where the heck is all of your baby furniture?" Lucy asked, changing the subject.

"We haven't got it yet," Alison said as she browsed through one of the nursery books.

"You haven't got it yet?!" Lucy couldn't believe this!

"Well, yeah. I mean, my nana had said something about us going to Wyndham's to look at the sets but we just haven't got around to it yet. We got a lot of time though, Lucy."

"Oh no, no, no, no, no! You have to get it today! Because we have to get the crib bedding that matches the walls and we can't get the bedding until we get the furniture! Oh dear, oh dear! We have got our work cut out for us, don't we?"

Rafe and Alison glanced at each other, wondering why Lucy was making such a big deal out of it.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do!" Lucy announced. "We look though these books and get an idea of what the room will look like. Then once we have our plan…Don, Rafe…it's up to you boys to get the furniture. Here's what you're going to need. A crib, a changing table…Don!" Lucy snapped her fingers. "Why aren't you writing this down?"

"Oh!" Don said, fishing a pad and pen out of his shirt pocket.

"We're going to need a crib, a changing table, a dresser, a rocking chair, a toy box, some shelves, and Rafe, whatever else you want. And it's got to match! Alison, you and me are going to get the paint, wall decorations, bedding, and the window treatments. Then we'll all meet back here and we can really get started! Now, is everyone on board?"

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other, reading each other's minds. It wouldn't hurt to go along, and the nursery would get together much quicker this way.

"Sounds like a plan, cousin," Rafe said, smiling at Lucy.

"Let's start looking," Alison added.

"Great!" Lucy smiled, proud of her organization skills.

After looking at several pictures of nursery samples, and after some input from Don about colors, Alison and Rafe decided to go for a moon and stars theme. It seemed like a suitable nursery theme for a boy or girl. The walls, they decided, could be painted light yellow, and Lucy knew there were some great wall borders with moons and stars on them at Wyndham's.

~*~*~*~

Alison loved to shop, but shopping with Lucy was quite a new experience! Lucy moved from one department to another, barely giving Alison enough time to catch her breath.

They found some adorable yellow and cream-colored bedding decorated with star and moon imprints. It had a blue and yellow plaid pattern around the edges. It had matching curtains as well. Lucy advised Alison to get the valance to decorate the top instead of having floor length curtains for safety reasons. And of course, there were also several blankets and pillows with stars and moons that couldn't be passed up.

The wall border was probably the hardest thing to buy. There were so many, and the border had to compliment the bedding and wall color. Eventually, they found a beautiful light blue border with yellow crescent moons and tons of navy blue and lavender stars.

Lucy added a few more "must haves" to their list. They found a mobile for the crib, with stars and moons hanging from it. For the wall, they found more star and moon decorations. They had even found the perfect lamp with a cream-colored lampshade decorated with blue and pink stars. And the best part was what they found for the ceiling: little glow-in-the-dark stars.

"Lucy, thank you so much for helping me find all of this stuff," Alison said as they piled all of their shopping bags into the car. "I don't think I could have got all this done so quickly without your help."

Lucy smiled. "Well you're certainly welcome. And hey, anything you need help with, just ask. But we're not done yet. We still have to get that paint on the walls…and oh, I hope the boys didn't screw up the furniture."

Alison laughed. "I'm sure whatever they picked will be fine."

"Let's hope so," Lucy said, as she turned the key in the ignition and drove off.

~*~*~*~

Rafe had thought selecting the furniture would be the hard part, but he was wrong. Putting the furniture together…now THAT was the hard part!

"I thought this stuff came pre-assembled," Rafe complained.

"Yes, because that would make life so much easier," Don said.

"We're back!" Lucy announced as she and Alison walked into the house carrying all of their shopping bags.

"Did you buy out the store?" Rafe laughed as he walked over to Alison and took a few bags to lighten her load. "Hey."

"Hey," she smiled, greeting him with a kiss. "And yes, we did buy the store out, at least out of all of the stars and moons," she laughed. "Let me show you what I got!"

Alison took a seat and started pulling things out of the shopping bags. "Here's the bedding. Look, it's got little tiny stars and moons on it. Do you like it?"

"I love it," Rafe said with a smile. "What else did you get?"

"Well, we got these things for the wall. Aren't they adorable? And we got a lamp and a mobile…and they're somewhere in one of these bags here." Alison laughed. "Did you get all the furniture for the nursery?"

"See for yourself," Rafe said, pointing to all of the boxes around the living room. "Some assembly is required."

"Oh dear! Well this is going to take forever!"

"Yes but, the important thing is that I got the furniture."

"Aww, well these are cute," Alison said, looking at the pictures on the boxes. The crib, changing table, and dresser came together as a set and were made out of solid oak. Alison was pleased; it was exactly what she would have picked.

"Yes, I'd say you boys did a great job with the furniture," Lucy said.

"Did you ever doubt it?" Don asked.

"Of course not! Now, the only problem we have now is figuring out how to get all of this furniture together."

"I've got an idea!" Alison said as she picked up the phone.

~*~*~*~

Within an hour, Jack, Jamal, Frank, and Ian were all there to help assemble the furniture. And Livvie and Marissa were more than happy to help Alison and Lucy with the painting.

Alison, wearing a pair of old overalls, a bandana on her head, and a little smidgen of yellow paint on her cheek, walked out into the living room to see how things were progressing. To her surprise, the crib was already assembled.

"You guys! It looks so beautiful!" Alison ran over to the crib to get a closer look. She could already imagine the baby sleeping in it now. "Thanks so much for helping out."

"We'd do anything to help you out, Spunky," Jamal said.

"All you have to do is ask," Jack said.

"Alison," Rafe called out, walking over to her with a glass of water.

"Rafe! The crib! Oh it looks so cute!"

"It did come together pretty well, didn't it? Now drink."

"I'm not thirsty…"

"Drink," Rafe ordered.

"Alright," she said, taking the glass of water. "Come look at the nursery! We're almost done painting it!" Alison took Rafe by the hand and led him to the nursery.

"Wow!" Rafe couldn't believe it was the same room. Don was right…the yellow did brighten it up. "That really does look better than the beige."

"I know! It's amazing how a little paint can make such a huge difference in a room!" Alison grabbed a paint roller and began to start painting again.

"I don't think so," Rafe said, taking the roller from her and sitting it back down.

"What are you doing?"

"Alison, I think you should take a break."

"I'm not tired."

"I know, but take a break anyway. That way I won't have to worry about you overdoing it."

Alison smiled. He was going to be this way, and it was only going to get worse. She might as well get used to it. "Okay, I'll take a break."

"Thank you," he said, then giving her a kiss. "By the way, you look really cute right now."

"Oh stop."

"You do. With that paint all over you," he laughed, wiping the paint off her cheek with his finger.

"You know, it's funny, but earlier this morning, the last thing I wanted to do was a decorating project."

"And now?"

"Now I couldn't be more excited! I can't wait to see what it'll look like when it's finished. This will be the perfect nursery for our baby!"

"Yes, it will," he said, pulling her in for another kiss.

~*~*~*~

Alison couldn't believe it, but everything was finished. The curtains were up. The furniture was put together. The paint was dry on the walls, but the fumes still lingered. But Alison didn't care…it was finished! That weekend, she, Rafe, and most of their friends had worked really hard to get that nursery together. It seemed liked a daunting task at first, but when they all worked together, they got a lot accomplished in a short amount of time. And now the moment she had finally been waiting for was here…she could just stand back and admire it.

It was beautiful, just as she imagined! The walls were sunny and bright. The furniture was brand new. The blankets were soft and cozy, just waiting for the baby.

Alison felt Rafe come up behind her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close and kissing her shoulder.

"Rafe, doesn't it look so beautiful?"

"Yes," he said, still concentrating on her.

"Rafe," Alison laughed, then taking his hand and leading him into the room. She walked over to the crib and ran her hand along the smooth railing. "I can already see the baby in here, looking up at this mobile." Alison touched the tiny little moon and stars dangling from it. "And this rocking chair," she marveled, walking over to it and sitting down. "It's so comfortable!"

"I knew you'd like that one," Rafe smiled.

"I'll be spending so many hours in this chair. Rocking the baby to sleep…nursing…reading stories."

Rafe smiled at Alison. He loved watching her talk about the baby.

"I can picture you in here too," she said, looking up at him and smiling.

"Oh yeah? What do you see?" Rafe kneeled down beside her.

"You. Holding the baby. Talking to the baby. You're going to be the greatest father." Alison reached out, moving a little strand of hair from his face. "Okay, these paint fumes are kind of getting to me now."

"It's getting late. Let's go to bed," Rafe said, holding out his hand and helping Alison out of the chair.

As they walked out, Rafe switched off the light, and Alison looked back one more time. As she did, she noticed that the moon could be seen from the window. The moon was bright tonight, casting its glow on the entire room. Alison looked up to the ceiling, seeing the stars glow brightly. "Well look at that."

"What?"

"The moon and the stars are out tonight."

Rafe smiled, putting his arm around her as they walked to their bedroom.

 


	65. Chapter 65

originally posted 4-25-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

65

~*~*~*~

"Good book?"

Katrina looked up, pleasantly surprised at who she saw. "Gabriel."

"May I?" he asked, indicating to the empty side of the booth.

"Sure." Katrina smiled at him. "What are you doing here? I come to this place all the time and I've never seen you around."

"Don't be mad. I've been following you."

"Oh you have?"

"Don't worry, I'm not a stalker," he laughed. "I was just worried about you. So how have you been?"

"I'm fine. But I'm still a little shook up over what happened. I feel like I can't go outside any more at night."

"Just be extra cautious when you're in the woods. Don't go walking alone again, okay?"

"I won't. I promise."

"Good. That'd make me feel a lot better."

"Is there another reason why you've been following me?"

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Well…"

"Wait, I already know the answer to that. You're going out with your boyfriend, right?"

Katrina laughed. "I don't have a boyfriend."

"Now I'm quite sure I don't believe that. You mean to tell me that someone as beautiful as you doesn't have a boyfriend? Not possible."

Katrina laughed. "Is there something you want to ask me, Gabriel?"

"I want to take you out to dinner tonight. What do you say?"

"Hmm. Well, I'd say…would I have to wear something really classy or would I dress in something more casual?"

"Is that a yes?"

"What time will you pick me up?"

"Seven. Is that good?"

Katrina nodded.

"Good. Seven it is." Gabriel rose from his seat, giving her a smile. "Oh, and dress classy." He continued to smile at her, and then walked out the door.

Katrina sighed, resting her cheek in her hand as she stared into space for a few moments. She had a date tonight with Gabriel! She then began to panic…what was she going to wear? She quickly got up, gathered her books, and left the diner in a hurry.

~*~*~*~

Martin walked past her door twice. Katrina could see his reflection in the mirror. She knew any moment now, he'd come in her room and start asking questions. She glanced at the clock. 6:30. Gabriel would be here soon.

"Where do you think you're going?" Martin asked, walking into her bedroom right on cue.

Katrina looked up at her brother innocently. "Just out."

"Out where?"

"I don't know. Just out with a friend."

"Does this friend have a name?"

"Hannah. I'm going out with Hannah."

Martin took a seat on the bed. "You're lying."

"What are you talking about?"

"You don't wear that dress when you just go out with your friends. So who are you really going out with?"

"You don't know him."

"Then you're not going out."

Katrina sighed. "Martin, why do you always do this to me?"

"Because, you're my little sister. I have to look out for you."

"Martin, I'm not so little anymore, if you haven't noticed already. Gabriel's really nice. I promise, you'll like him."

"Oh yeah? Well what is it about this Gabriel that makes him so special? How do I know he won't hurt you?"

Katrina looked at Martin, wondering if she should tell him the truth. "Because, he saved my life."

"What are you talking about?"

Katrina got up from her chair and sat beside her brother. "Okay, listen, if I tell you this, you have to promise you won't think I'm crazy."

"I'm listening."

"Remember the night of that thunderstorm? I was walking home that night. By myself-"

"Kat, I've told you before. I don't want you walking-"

"I know, I know. I shouldn't have been walking home by myself. But I was."

"What happened?"

"Some man attacked me."

"Attacked? Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine now. He didn't hurt me, thanks to Gabriel."

"Who was it? Who attacked you? I'll find him. I don't even need a name, just a description, and I'll track him down."

"You can't, Martin."

"Oh I will," he promised. "No one messes with my little sister and gets away with it."

"No, you don't understand. You can't track him down anymore. He's dead."

"This guy that attacked you is dead?"

"There's something I haven't told you about my attacker. He was…"

"What? What was he?"

"He was a vampire," Katrina whispered.

"A vampire?"

"I know, you think I'm crazy. You don't believe me. I shouldn't have told you."

"No, I didn't say that. I do believe you. You wouldn't lie about something like that. So this Gabriel guy…he killed him?"

"He pulled him off of me and put a stake through his chest, yeah."

"Wait a minute. Are you talking about Gabriel Kovich?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Kat, everyone knows about the Kovich family. So they really are slayers? And vampires really exist?"

Katrina shook her head. "I know, it was a shock to me too. So can I go out with him now?"

"Anyone who saves my sister has my blessing. But I still want to meet him."

"Okay, that's fine. He'll be here soon."

Martin got up and left the room. Katrina went back to her mirror and smiled. Had she actually just convinced her brother to let her go out on a date? It was hard living with such an overprotective brother. Ever since their father had passed, he seemed to pick up the slack when it came to taking care of the family.

Katrina looked at the clock again. She still had some time before Gabriel would be here, and even then, she was sure that Martin would grill him with twenty questions before they left the house. Katrina reached under her pillow and took out her journal. She might as well write while she waited.

 

~*~*~*~

Rafe couldn't help but smile as he watched Alison lying on the bed, wearing her purple pajamas, and her nose buried in that diary again. This was becoming a normal occurrence.

"Whatcha reading about now?" he asked, sitting on the bed beside her.

Alison looked up from the journal and smiled at him. "Your mother's in love. And your Uncle Martin, he's quite overprotective. Maybe you get some of that from him."

Rafe laughed. "You know I'm overprotective because I love you so much."

"I know, and I love you too." Alison leaned forward, giving Rafe a kiss. She then set the journal on the nightstand. "Tell me more about him."

"My uncle?"

"Yeah. You told me a long time ago that after your father had passed, he took after your training, but I don't really know how that came to be."

"Wow, you have a good memory."

"I remember a lot of things you tell me."

"Well, Uncle Martin was very protective when it came to his family. You see, my grandfather passed away before I was born, and after that, he did everything he could to keep my mother and my grandmother safe. But there was one person that he couldn't keep safe, and he never forgave himself for it."

"Who?"

"The woman he loved, his fiancée Sonia."

"What happened to her?"

"She was killed."

"How? Not by a…"

Rafe nodded. "Vampire. After Sonia's death, he wanted revenge on all of them, for her sake. He wasn't a slayer but…he wanted to be. So when my father died, Martin decided it was up to him to train me, or else, they would win. And he wasn't about to let that happen."

"Rafe, if I ask you something, will you promise to be honest with me?"

"Of course, Alison."

"Was Caleb the last one?"

"Yes, he was the last Morley."

"No, I know that. But was he the last vampire?"

"He was the head vampire. So when he was killed, everyone he turned became normal again. You know that though."

"Rafe, that's not exactly what I meant."

"What is it?"

"I'm asking you if our child is going to have to be a slayer. I know Caleb was the last of the Morley vampires, but are there more out there? Are there other vampires just like him?"

"Alison, I can't promise you that Caleb was the very last one, but I can promise you this. Our child will never live the life that I did."

"Are you going to have to fight evil again?"

"I'd do anything to protect you and our child. But hey, don't think about that. You don't have anything to worry about. Just think about what we have right now. A normal life, a home, a family. Just think about how happy we are now, and how happy we'll continue to be many years from now."

Alison smiled. "I am happy."

"And you'll stay that way. I'll do everything I can to keep a smile on that face. Come here," he said, putting his arms around her and closing the distance between them.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Alison reached over for the lamp and turned it off. Then she climbed under the covers and into Rafe's arms. She always felt safe in his arms, and she knew he'd keep his promise to always keep her safe and happy.


	66. Chapter 66

originally posted 5-31-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

66

~*~*~*~

Katrina held up her hand, watching as the light from the candle bounced off the sparkling diamond on her ring. It was the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

She sighed as she felt Gabriel's lips on her neck; sending shivers all down her spine as he gently assaulted it with kisses.

"I have a wedding present for you," he whispered.

Katrina looked at Gabriel and smiled. "You've already given me everything I want."

He smiled, reaching over and opening the drawer of the nightstand. He pulled out a long black box and handed it to her.

"What's this?"

"Open it up and see."

Katrina sat up and took the box. She gently lifted the lid and gasped when she saw what was inside. "It's a locket. Oh it's beautiful."

"Open it up."

Katrina opened the heart-shaped locket. Inside, she saw two tiny pictures, one of herself, one of Gabriel. "Gabriel, oh I love it!"

"This is my heart," he said, taking the locket from her and undoing the clasp. Katrina lifted her hair so that he could put it around her neck. "I know that my lifestyle scares you."

"I just don't want you to get hurt," she said softly.

"That's why I want you to wear this." Gabriel opened the tiny hook and fastened the clasp. Katrina turned to face him, and Gabriel held the heart of the locket in his hand. "Anytime I'm out fighting evil, or anytime that you're worried for me, or you just miss me, you hold this close to your heart. And I promise you, Katrina, I will always be with you. You have my heart."

She smiled, reaching for the locket near her chest and holding the small heart in her hand. "You have my heart too."

Gabriel reached for her face and held it in his hands. He brought her close to him and gave her a kiss as they fell back onto the bed.

"Alison? Alison?"

"What? Oh, Livvie, hi. I didn't even hear you come in." Alison put the journal down and wiped her eyes with her finger.

Livvie laughed. "Good thing I wasn't a customer. What are you reading?" Livvie picked up the journal and looked at it closely. "This one of those romance novels with perfect love stories like in soap operas?"

"No, better. It's a journal. Katrina's journal."

"Who's Katrina?"

"Rafe's mother."

"Oh. Wow, how did you get your hands on this?"

"Rafe sent for his mother's things a while back and there was this huge box just full of almost every important thing she'd ever owned. There was jewelry. There were pictures. Oh, look at this picture!" Alison grabbed a photograph out of the journal, which she had been using for a bookmark. "It's Rafe!"

Livvie took the picture and smiled. "Aww, he was a cute baby."

"Anyway, there was like a stack of his mother's old journals in the box. They're really interesting to read."

"What does she write about?"

"Mostly about Rafe's father. I can't wait until I get to read about Rafe. I haven't been able to put this journal down."

"Well you wanna know what I haven't been able to put down?"

"What?"

Livvie held up a magazine and grinned. " _Modern Bride_!" she said excitedly.

"Ooo! Have you found a dress?"

Livvie walked behind the counter and laid the magazine in front of them. "I wanted to show you this one." Livvie flipped around until she found the page she was looking for. "What do you think?"

"Oh that's gorgeous! Oh, it makes me want to have a wedding again!"

"I also like this one." Livvie turned the page again, showing Alison another dress.

"I love that one too! Are you going to get one of them?"

"I don't know. I'd really rather try them on first before I decide. But this gives me an idea of what I want. Do you want to go shopping with me this weekend?"

"For wedding dresses? Yes!"

"Oh good! Wyndham's is having a sale!"

"I know! I wanted to check out their maternity clothes!"

"Great! This Saturday, we'll go."

"Hey, have you and Jack picked a date yet?"

"Well, not yet. But we have decided that we definitely want to get married when it's warm. We're going to have an outdoor wedding by the river."

"Aww, Livvie. Oh that's so perfect!"

"I know! I can't wait. It's a while away but I guess it'll give us more time to plan."

"Well, Livvie, anything you need help with, just ask!"

"From the looks of things, I think I will need a lot of help. I asked Jack to look at invitations with me last night, because I thought it would be fun if we could decide together, and you know what he said?"

"What?"

"'Anything you want is fine.' And then he had the nerve to turn his attention back to some stupid ball game! I thought we were supposed to plan all these things together. He was so sweet when he proposed and now, it's like he wants me to do all the rest of the work! What am I marrying into, Alison?"

"Don't worry, it'll be okay! Men and wedding planning don't exactly go well together. Unless he's a professional wedding planner, which let's face it, Jack will never be. From now on, you let me help you with the big decisions. That's what your matron-of-honor is for. Men just want to get married. Trust me, in the end, Jack will be happy with anything you decide."

"I hope so. Hey, speaking of weddings, how's that cake coming along?"

Alison frowned. "Oh, Livvie, did you have to go and bring that up?"

~*~*~*~

"I'm home!" Alison said cheerfully as she walked through the door, arms full of shopping bags.

Rafe put down his journal and walked over to her, laughing at the sight. "What did you do? Buy out Wyndham's?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile and tilted her chin up to give Rafe a kiss. "Hey."

"I'm glad you're home." Rafe wrapped his arms around her, giving her another kiss.

"Wait till you see all the stuff I bought!" Alison set her bags on the couch and started rummaging through them.

"I thought you were supposed to be helping Livvie look at wedding dresses?"

"We did. But if I'm going to be in Wyndham's, I might as well shop for myself too! Plus, they were having a sale."

Rafe shook his head. He could walk into a store and not buy a thing at all, but Alison had never been that way. He'd never understand it.

"Isn't this so _cute_?! Maternity pajamas!" Alison held up the lavender pajamas against her, showing them off to Rafe.

"They look like your other one."

Alison smiled. "That's the point. You know it's my favorite! Now I have maternity jammies! And look at these cute pants I got. They're stretchy!"

Alison went on and on, showing Rafe all of the new clothes she had purchased. Rafe just stared at her, starting to laugh. She was so cute.

"What?" Alison asked, noticing his expression.

"Nothing. I just love you."

Alison smiled. "I love you too. I'm going to go put this stuff away." Alison put her new clothes back in the bags and carried them to the bedroom.

Rafe took a seat and picked up his journal again, finishing the entry he had started on earlier.

When Alison came back into the living room, she smiled, watching Rafe unnoticed, writing away in his journal. She loved that about Rafe. Alison put her hand on her belly, wondering if their child would share a passion for writing like his father and grandmother.

"Writing in your journal?" She asked as she crept up behind him, putting her arms around his neck.

"Yeah. Seeing you read my mother's journals lately reminded me that it's been a while since I've written in mine."

Alison walked around the couch to sit beside him. "So you've started back?"

"Well, there's a lot of things going on right now in our lives that's worth remembering." Rafe's hand moved to rest on Alison's belly. She wasn't showing yet, but Rafe could already start to tell the beginnings of a little bump under her navel. "Okay, I guess you're off the hook."

"Off the hook?"

"I was going to nag you about how many clothes you bought, but I guess soon you'll really need them."

"I don't shop that much."

Rafe raised an eyebrow. "Oh you don't?"

"No. It used to take me three trips to the car to bring in all of my shopping bags." Alison gave Rafe a quick kiss, then got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen, leaving Rafe with an amused expression on his face.

 


	67. Chapter 67

originally posted 6-1-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

67

~*~*~*~

_Nov. 17, 1974_

_I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately. It's one in the morning right now, the baby's favorite time to keep me awake with its kicking! Gabriel says, "Of course he's a kicker. He's a Kovich." We don't know for sure if it's a boy, but everyone seems convinced it is. Simona tells me that Gabriel was the same way when she was pregnant with him, which makes her think it's a boy. Gabriel's convinced it's a boy because that's what he wants. Of course, he'd be happy to have a daughter, and he says all that matters is that the baby is healthy, but I know in his heart he wants our firstborn to be a son. He wants a son so bad he can taste it! As for me, I'd be happy with either. I hope to have both someday._

Alison set the journal down on the nightstand and smiled. Reading it had reminded her that there was something she had been meaning to do for a while. Alison got up from the bed and walked into the living room. Looking in the desk drawer, she pulled out a baby book. She had bought it that day she went shopping with Lucy, but hadn't had a chance to write in it yet. It was a beautiful baby book. It had little yellow stars and moons, along with an adorable sleeping baby on the cover.

Alison sat down and got out a pen. First, she opened the book and flipped through the pages. There were pages for recording information about the baby's birth, pages to write down the family tree, pages for noting all of the baby's "firsts", and several other pages for pictures and to write memories down.

Alison flipped back to the beginning of the book where there were a series of questions and a space for the mother to write.

 _When did you first suspect you were pregnant? How did you find out? What was your reaction?_ Alison laughed to herself and wrote, "When I realized I was reading the calendar wrong and discovered I was late! And when I started to feel a little sick. I found out for sure once I took a test, and I was very excited."

 _How did you tell the father the news? What was his reaction?_ Alison smiled. "I ran into the church when he was talking with Reverend Lovejoy and called out his name as loud as I could! Rafe was scared something was wrong, but then I told him the good news. He was overjoyed, and I don't think I've ever seen him more happier."

 _Who did you tell first?_ "Livvie knew first, because she's the one who bought the test for me. I told Nana soon afterwards, and Rafe and I shared our good news to the rest of our family and friends at Lucy's party."

 _What kinds of cravings have you experienced?_ "Spaghetti, with lots of parmesan cheese (which is more like your daddy!), and potato chips, much to your daddy's dismay!"

 _Reaction to the first ultrasound? First time you heard the baby's heartbeat?_ "I cried I was so happy. Rafe started talking to you through my belly."

The rest of the questions, Alison couldn't answer yet since she hadn't yet felt the baby kick or experienced labor. Alison put the book aside for a moment and took out a few sheets of paper.

_To my dearest little one,_

_You've only been growing inside of me for a couple of months, but already, you are the most precious thing in the world to your father and I. Every day, I think about you and I can't wait until I get to hold you. It's just so incredible to think that just by loving your father, we created you. Your father is the most amazing man in the world. Well, of course, by the time you read this, you will have known your father for your entire life, and you'll already know how wonderful he is. But I'll tell you now…you are the luckiest child in the world to have him._

_What Rafe and I have, not everyone is fortunate enough to experience. We never planned on falling in love, but it just sort of happened, just out of nowhere, We realized that there was something incredible, or more like, magical between us. And you, my precious one, were brought into this world from that love._

_One day, you'll fall in love, and you'll understand what it's all about. Sometimes it happens when you least expect it - it creeps up on you. And when it does, remember this - always follow your heart. Even if it seems impossible, just go for it. People thought I was crazy for falling in love with your father, and sometimes, I thought I was a little nuts myself. But in the end, we got our chance, as impossible as it seemed. We got the opportunity to live our life together. And now, not only has God blessed us with this incredible love, but we are now soon to be blessed with you. Just remember, listen to your heart, and believe in miracles, because anything is possible with the power of love._

_I'm looking so forward to your arrival!_

_Love,_

_Your Mom_

Alison smiled, putting her pen down and rereading her letter. She wasn't sure what inspired her to write it, but she knew that one day, her child would cherish reading it.

"There you are," Rafe said as he looked over Alison's shoulder, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey," Alison whispered, smiling at him.

"It's late. What are you working on?"

"The baby book," she said, handing the book over to Rafe so that he could see what she had written.

"This is a good idea."

"And I'm writing a letter to the baby. You have to write one too."

"Okay," Rafe grinned. "What am I supposed to say?"

"Oh you know, your thoughts, your feelings, how excited you are, that sort of thing. It's so the baby can read it one day when he or she is old enough. Oh, I almost forgot!"

"What?"

Alison began to look in the drawers of the desk. "Where's that ultrasound picture?"

"Oh I know." Rafe walked over to the coffee table and looked through the books until he found it. "I knew I saw it in one of these."

"Oh yeah, I forgot I put it there."

"What are you going to do with it?"

Alison took a little piece of scotch tape from the drawer and took the picture. "I'm going to put it in the baby book. See? There's a whole page where we can put ultrasound pictures. There we go." Alison smiled at the sight of the baby's first picture at the top of the page.

"Pretty soon, there'll be even more pictures." Rafe smiled, giving Alison another kiss on her cheek.

"Lots more." Alison smiled. "You ready to go to bed?"

"Yeah. I'll just check the door first."

"Okay." Alison stood up to kiss Rafe, then left for the bedroom.

Rafe picked up the baby book once more and looked at the ultrasound picture. He remembered that day so clearly, the way Alison couldn't help but cry, the sound of the baby's heartbeat filling the air, the way the baby moved its tiny little arm. It really was amazing that within a matter of months, there would be a little person, a child that they created, in their lives.

 


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Since PC never really went in-depth on what Rafe's life was like when he was a kid, I'm fixing that problem, according to how I think it could have happened (If Ed wasn't Rafe's father, that is lol) Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Until 69! (wow!) Will Rafe become annoyingly overprotective? Will Alison be pregnant forever? Will this fanfic ever end? Stay tuned.

originally posted 6-20-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

68

~*~*~*~

Katrina sat on the cushioned wicker chair on the back porch. She wrote in her journal, occasionally looking up to watch Gabriel, Rafe, and Martin out in the yard. Gabriel had been so secretive that morning on what he was up to, and now, Katrina could finally see for herself what it was. Somehow, he assembled a makeshift dummy, which he intended to use as a "vampire" to train Rafe.

Katrina wasn't sure if she wanted to know what he had planned next.

"Die, vampire!" Rafe yelled, piercing the stake through the dummy.

Katrina winced. She really didn't feel comfortable letting Rafe handle such sharp objects.

Rafe looked up at his father, proud of his accomplishment. "I killed him, Daddy!"

Gabriel shook his head, rubbing his forehead a few times. This was all giving him a tension headache. "No, Rafe. You didn't kill him. Okay, look at this." Gabriel pointed to where the stake was. "If you stake a vampire like that, he's going to look at you, and he's going to laugh. Martin, hand me that marker in your pocket will you?"

Martin handed him the marker, then glanced over to the porch at his sister. He knew her well. She wouldn't be able to take this much longer.

Gabriel took the marker, writing a big black "X" on the chest. "Okay, you see this 'X', Rafe? That's where you have to stake him. You staked him too low. You need to aim for the middle of his heart."

"But you said Caleb has no heart."

"Figuratively, Rafe." Gabriel pulled the stake out of the dummy. "Now take this and I want you to try it again. And this time get it right."

"I don't want to," Rafe whined.

"Rafe," he warned.

"God, Gabriel!" Katrina called out. "Stop pushing him so hard! He's just a child!"

"Katrina, I was much younger than Rafe when my father started training me. If my father was alive today, he'd be getting on my case for not starting this sooner!"

By this time, Rafe had already made his way to the porch. He climbed up in the chair with his mother, taking a sip of her lemonade sitting on the table.

"Rafe, sweetie, why don't you go inside and play?" Katrina said, running her fingers through his soft hair. Rafe jumped out of the chair, running back inside the house and letting the screen door slam shut.

"You want to tell me why you just did that?" Gabriel asked his wife, clearly annoyed.

"I think Rafe's had a enough for one day."

"We've barely started!" Gabriel threw the stake across the yard, hitting the dummy in the face.

"I thought you told me that Rafe wouldn't have to go through this."

"And most likely, he won't, Katrina. Once I get Caleb, that'll be the last of the Morleys, and the beginning for this nightmare to finally end. But what kind of slayer would I be if I didn't teach my own son how fight evil? What kind of father would I be if I didn't teach him how to defend himself?

"He's four, Gabriel! You really expect our little boy to go out and hunt down vampires?"

"That's not what I said!"

"Kat…" Martin tried to intervene.

"Gabe, I don't understand you! You told me, you _promised_ me that Rafe would be the first Kovich to not have to slay vampires for a living! You said he'd be able to live a normal life, something you've always wanted for yourself! And now you're going about, training him to slay vampires, just like you! Can't he just for once be a little boy? Can't he just play and be happy and not have to learn about the proper way to stake a vampire?"

"Kat, you're missing the point." Martin stepped onto the porch and took a seat beside her. "He wants that too. All Gabe is saying is that he has to make sure Rafe understands what being a slayer means. He has to be prepared for whatever may happen."

"Why do you always take his side on this?" Katrina asked.

"Katrina, look at me," Gabriel pleaded. "I do want Rafe to live a normal life. And once I get that bastard Caleb, he'll be able to. But in the meantime, this is no time to be careless and overconfident. If something happens to me, it _will_ fall on Rafe's shoulders. And I have to make damn sure he knows what to do. We can't let Caleb win!"

"I'm tired of talking about this," Katrina said, getting up from her seat and walking into the house. She knew Gabriel was right, but it didn't mean she had to like it. She didn't want to think of the thought of something happening to Gabriel, and she hated to think of Rafe having to fight.

Katrina had been upset, but the moment she walked into the house, she smiled. She watched Rafe for a while, sitting at the kitchen table with crayons scattered everywhere as he drew a picture. She hoped Gabriel could keep his promise to her…and that he would be able to live a normal life.

"Mommy, come look at my picture!"

"Okay," she said as she walked over to the table and sat down.

Rafe picked up his picture and moved to sit in his mother's lap. "See?"

"Oh, that's a beautiful rainbow! And you drew the sun and the clouds, and grass and flowers! Well, well, you are quite the artiste!"

"That right there is you, Mommy." Rafe pointed to his mother in the picture. "And there's me and Daddy."

"I love it." Katrina kissed Rafe's head.

"Mommy, is Daddy mad at me?"

"Mad? No baby, Daddy's not mad at you." Katrina set the picture on the table and looked into her son's eyes. "He's got a lot of things on his mind right now, but he could never be mad at you."

"I don't want to be a slayer."

Katrina hugged Rafe close to her. "I know, baby, but we can't change who we are. You know, everyone loves your daddy. He works so hard to keep the people in this town safe."

"Really?"

"Yes. You want to be like your daddy, don't you? Don't you want to grow up and be good and keep people safe?"

Rafe nodded. "Yes."

"Well you know what would make your daddy really happy?"

"What?"

"If you go outside and let him show you a few things. He really wants to teach you everything he knows. Will you go do that?"

"Okay, Mommy." Rafe hopped out of his mother's lap and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Oh, you keep the picture. I drew it for you."

"Thank you."

Rafe pushed his chair under the table and began to run.

"No running," she warned Rafe.

Katrina looked at the picture again and smiled. "One day," she said to herself, thinking of the future when she'd never have to hear the name Caleb Morley again.

~*~*~*~

"What's this?" Alison said aloud as she turned the page and noticed a folded piece of paper in the journal. Alison couldn't believe it, but it was Rafe's drawing. "She kept it." Alison smiled, wondering if Rafe would remember drawing it.

Alison took the picture and walked over to the refrigerator, sticking it on with a few magnets.

"Hey, what do you want for dinner?" Rafe asked, walking into the kitchen.

Alison turned to him and smiled. "Oh anything's fine."

"Chinese?" Rafe suggested, pulling out the phone book to look up the number. "Alison? Is that okay?"

"You haven't noticed it yet."

"Noticed what?"

"The picture," Alison grinned.

"Picture?"

"On the refrigerator."

"Oh. Who did that?"

Alison laughed. "You! Oh my god, you don't remember drawing this?"

Rafe took a closer look. At second glance, it did seem somewhat familiar. "Oh yeah, that is mine. Looks like something of mine anyway," Rafe laughed.

"I found it in one of your mother's journals."

"That's a pretty old drawing," Rafe said, looking at the picture again. He tried to remember exactly when he made it. He must have been pretty young, because his name had been written completely backwards, Rafe noticed with a laugh.

"Chinese is fine," Alison said, wrapping her arms around Rafe.

"What?"

"I'm hungry. Call the Chinese place."

Rafe turned his attention back to Alison, giving her a little kiss. "Chinese it is then."

Alison returned to the table and looked at the picture again. It was all very fitting, as the picture represented happiness and the future, and at the moment, Alison couldn't be happier.

 


	69. Chapter 69

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The events in this chapter happen about a year or so after the last chapter. No Rafe or Alison in this chapter, well, except little Rafe. Until 70...

originally posted 6-24-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

69

~*~*~*~

Katrina walked over to the couch, carrying a slice of chocolate cake and the latest novel that had captured her interest. As she began to read, she noticed Gabriel walking towards her out of the corner of her eye. In one quick movement, he snatched the plate from the end table and sat beside her.

"Whatcha reading?"

Katrina closed her book and turned to her husband, who was happily taking a bite of her cake. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Well, I'm sitting right here talking to you, and eating this delicious slice of cake. Mmm." Gabriel took another bite.

"Oh no you don't!" Katrina snatched the plate and fork away from him. "I'll have you know that I worked for hours on this cake and this is the very last slice, and I haven't had ONE bite of it because of all of the hungry boys in this house!"

"It wasn't me, Katrina. It was Rafe. That kid eats like there's no tomorrow. Oh, and that brother of yours. Every time he comes over here, he raids that kitchen. But I've hardly had a bite of it."

"Liar! You've had more than your fair share of this cake and you're not getting any of mine!"

"Aww, come on, Katrina, won't you at least share a little? Just a little taste, that's all I'm asking."

"No," Katrina said, taking a bite of it.

"But that's an awfully big slice. Come on, you eat like a bird. There's no way you can finish all of that."

"I can too."

Gabriel sighed. "Don't make me do this, Katrina."

"Do what?"

"Make me fight you for it!"

"NO!" Katrina laughed, taking the plate and running to the other side of the room.

"You're forgetting that I can run faster than you!" Gabriel stood on the other side of the couch, ready to corner Katrina no matter which direction she would run next.

"You're forgetting that I'm good at dodging!" Katrina ran past Gabriel, ducking to avoid his grasp.

"I'm still going to get you!"

"Not if I can help it!" Katrina ran around the couch a few times, Gabriel on her heels, then headed towards the kitchen.

Gabriel chased her out of the kitchen, then back into the living room, where Katrina suddenly stumbled.

"Oww!" Katrina yelled.

"Katrina, are you okay?" Gabriel panicked. He hadn't meant for her to get hurt, and now this had gone too far.

"My ankle."

"Let me see."

"Gotcha!" Katrina yelled, finding her opportunity to get away.

"Oh no you don't!" Gabriel called after her, running around to the other side of the couch and grabbing hold of her. He gently pulled her down to the couch, holding her tight.

"No! It's my cake!"

"Well looks like it's mine now, considering the fact that I've got you pinned down."

Katrina turned around to face him. Gabriel hovered over her, making escape impossible.

"Okay. You win," she said, trying to catch her breath. "I'll share some of my cake. But under one condition."

"A condition? Ooo, I like when you get all demanding." Gabriel closed the distance between them, meanwhile, trying to take the cake away from her grasp.

"Uh uh! No! Not until you've heard my condition."

"What's the condition?" Gabriel moved his lips to her ear, giving it a kiss. "Making love to you all night?" he whispered.

Katrina smiled. "Okay, two conditions," she laughed. "Actually, I was going to say that you had to dance with me."

"Dance?" Gabriel looked at her, surprised.

"Yes. When's the last time you and I danced?"

"Okay, we can dance. But you know I'm not much of a dancer."

"Oh please. You always say that when the truth is, you're a great dancer."

"Alright. But I have a question. Do I get cake before or after?"

"You get a little now, and the rest for later." Katrina picked off a little piece of cake and fed it to him. As she did, Gabriel kissed her again, his hand slowly moving to the strap of her dress. Katrina gently pulled away. "We do that later. Right now, we dance."

Katrina put the plate on the table and walked over to the record player. She looked through their record collection to find some music good for dancing.

"Okay, but you're going to have to help me out a little here," Gabriel said. "It's been a while since I've danced. I'm a little rusty."

"Nonsense." Katrina smiled at him as she put a record on and music began to play. She walked over to him and took his hands. They began to move around the room, moving in beat to the music. Gabriel raised his arm, spinning Katrina around a few times.

"See? I said you were a good dancer!"

"I'm only good because of you."

"What are you doing?" Rafe asked, standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"And what are you doing out of bed, young man?" his father asked him, looking at the hour on the grandfather clock and then back to his son.

"I can't sleep. Can I stay up?"

"Rafe, it's late."

"Oh why not?" Katrina said softly, looking at Gabriel and smiling. "It is summer. It's not like he has school in the morning."

"Well...alright, you can stay up. But only for a little while."

The next song began to play, and Katrina smiled, getting an idea. "Come here, Rafe. I'm going to teach you something."

"What?" he asked as his mother took hold of his hands.

"I'm going to show you how to dance. See the way my feet move? You do the same. Now move this foot forward, and watch, I'm going to move back. You see?"

"Yes."

"Now see, one day, when you're all grown up like your daddy, you'll want to dance with a pretty girl. And Rafe, the most important thing I want you to remember is that when you dance with her, sweep her off her feet."

Rafe stopped moving and looked up at his mother with a very confused expression. "Sweep? Like, with a broom?"

Katrina and Gabriel both began to laugh.

"No, sweetie! When I say 'sweep her off her feet', I mean you make her feel like she's floating on a cloud."

"How do you do that?"

"Let me show you how," Gabriel said, taking hold of Katrina's hand. "Hold her hand like this, Rafe, and put your other hand around her waist. Then you look right into her eyes. And you dance."

And once again, Gabriel guided Katrina across the room, spinning her around and moving when she moved.

Rafe raced over to the record player, pulling out another record to put on just as soon as the one playing clicked off. He smiled, watching his parents. Apparently, they hadn't even noticed the music had been changed. They continued to dance around the room, laughing and smiling the whole time.

~*~*~*~

Katrina and Gabriel had been dancing for so long that they had lost all track of time. Katrina looked over to the couch, realizing for the first time that Rafe was fast asleep. "Well he's out like a light."

"Guess it was too much excitement for him," Gabriel laughed.

"I'll go put him to bed." Katrina walked over to Rafe and picked him up. He woke up momentarily from the movement, but then fell right back asleep on his mother's shoulder.

When Katrina came back downstairs, she didn't see Gabriel anywhere. "Gabriel? Gabe, where did you go?"

Gabriel walked into the room, his boots on and the crossbow around his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Katrina, but I've got to go."

"Why do you have the crossbow?" she asked worriedly.

"Caleb's somewhere near. I can feel it. I think it's time, Katrina." Gabriel walked over to Katrina, pulling her into a kiss. "I love you."

"No, Gabriel, don't go!" she said, grabbing hold of his arm.

"I'll be home soon, Katrina. This shouldn't take too long. I've been preparing for this moment my whole life."

"No, please don't! I have a really bad feeling about this. I don't want you to go."

"Katrina, once I get Caleb, that'll be the end of it. Don't you want this to end?"

"Yes I want it to end, but not at the expense of you. Please don't go tonight. You know I wouldn't ask you unless I really felt it was important. We've been having such a wonderful evening. I was really hoping it wouldn't have to end just yet. Please?"

"Katrina…"

She was in tears now. "Gabriel, please! I'm begging you. Don't go. Say you won't go! I don't know what I'd do without you if something happened to you. Please, Gabe!"

Gabriel put the crossbow down. It was hard to say no to her, and impossible when she was crying. "Okay, I won't go. If it worries you this much. I've been wrong about Caleb before."

"Thank you! Thank you so much! Oh I love you!" Katrina wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"I love you, too."

Katrina smiled. "Come on," she said, taking his hand and leading him upstairs.

~*~*~*~

Katrina woke with a start. Thunder rumbled loudly outside. The rain was coming down in sheets, beating against the windowpane. In the flash of lightning, Katrina saw that Gabriel wasn't in bed.

"Gabriel?" she called out. "Gabriel?" There was no response.

Something didn't feel right. Katrina could sense it. She reached for the chain around her neck, suddenly realizing that it was gone. "Not my locket," she cried as she fumbled around in the dark, looking for it under her pillow and the piles of sheets. "I have to find it." Katrina got to the floor and felt around the carpet. Finally, she felt the chain and grabbed the locket, wondering how it managed to get there. She stood up and turned on the lamp. The clasp had broken. She opened the locket, looking at the picture of Gabriel. "Where are you, Gabriel?"

Katrina raced downstairs. It was dark, but the lightening flashed incessantly, illuminating the room with white light. Katrina flicked on the lamp and looked over to the table. Just as she thought…the crossbow was gone. Gabriel had gone after Caleb. "He promised he wouldn't go!" she cried, running out the front door and onto the edge of the porch. The wind blew rain in her face, but she didn't care.

"GABRIEL! GABRIEL!"

Katrina waited, but all she heard was the sound of the rain and a rumble of thunder.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck the ground, dangerously close. Katrina screamed and ran back into the house. Gabriel was out there…somewhere. She prayed he found some place to wait out the storm.

Katrina then realized the lights were out. The storm had knocked out the power. Fear overcame her.

"Simona! Simona!" Katrina ran up the stairs, meeting Simona halfway, holding up a candlestick.

"Calm down, Katrina."

"Gabriel's gone! I think something's wrong. Do you sense it too?"

"Don't panic. I'm sure my son is just fine. He's very good at taking care of himself."

"Oh, I don't know," Katrina continued, "I'm really worried."

"Shh, you can't think that way. Come on, let's go downstairs and pray."

Katrina took Simona's hand and walked carefully down the stairs.

"Daddy!"

Katrina looked at Simona with a worried expression. "Rafe's scared."

"Go check on him."

Katrina raced back up the stairs, knowing something wasn't right if Rafe was crying out too. Rafe had never been afraid of storms, so Katrina knew that wasn't the reason he was fearful. Rafe was a slayer, and just like his father, he too could sense when evil was around.

"Daddy, come back," Rafe mumbled, tossing and turning in his sleep.

Katrina went to the bed and held him tight, trying to calm him down from the nightmares he was having. "Shh, don't worry, Mommy's here," she whispered.

"Mommy," Rafe cried, half-awake, half-asleep, tears running down his face.

"Shh, go to sleep, everything's okay."

Katrina picked Rafe up and carried him down the hall to her bedroom. She picked up the phone on the nightstand, hoping the line wasn't dead. Fortunately, it wasn't. She dialed a number as she held on to Rafe, still trying to calm him down from the horrible dreams he was having.

"Come on, pick up, Martin."

"Hello?" he said, groggily.

"Martin! Something's wrong!"

"What's wrong? What is it?"

"I don't know. I just have a terrible feeling. Gabriel's gone and Rafe's having nightmares. I'm really worried."

"I'll be right there," he said, hanging up the phone.

"Where's Daddy?" Rafe asked. "I'm scared, Mommy."

"Don't cry. Shh, it's okay. Just go back to sleep. Everything will be just fine," she said, trying to convince herself more than Rafe.

 


	70. Chapter 70

originally posted 6-25-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

70

~*~*~*~

Katrina opened the window and breathed in the fresh morning air. Gabriel had not come home yet. He rarely stayed out all night…and if he did, he'd always give her a call just to let her know where he was and that he was okay. But she hadn't heard from him. She hadn't heard from Martin either. He'd left to go look for him hours ago, saying he wouldn't return without him. But he wasn't back yet. And that's what worried her the most.

Rafe was oblivious to it all. She could hear him playing upstairs. He had forgotten the nightmares that had kept him up for most of the night.

Katrina heard a car pull up. Martin. Katrina raced outside, her fears finally calmed. Martin was back! But when she saw that her brother was alone, her heart sank. "Martin, where is he? Where's Gabriel? You didn't find him?"

Martin said nothing. He walked up the porch and took his sister's hand.

"Martin? Do you know where he is?"

"Come sit down for a minute," he said as they sat down on the porch chairs.

"Martin, you're scaring me. Why aren't you answering my questions?"

"I don't know how to tell you this."

"Tell me what?" she asked, fearing the worst. "Is he hurt? Is he at the hospital? Take me to him; I want to see him! If anyone can help him feel better it's me!"

Martin held his sister's hand tight as he looked into her eyes. "Katrina, Gabriel isn't at the hospital. He's…he's gone."

Katrina shook her head, her eyes filling with tears. "No. It's not possible. You need to keep looking. He's out there somewhere. You need to find him."

"I did. Katrina, I'm so sorry…."

"No. No, I don't believe you!"

"His neck was broken. Kat…he…he didn't make it. He…"

"No!" Katrina cried, burying her face into her brother's shoulder. "No! Not that! No!"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't want to bring you news like this."

"Gabriel!" she sobbed.

"Listen, Kat, let me help you. I can take care of the funeral arrangements for you…"

Katrina pulled back and looked at him, her face soaked with tears. "Funeral?" she shook her head. "No! I'm not ready to say goodbye!" Katrina rose to her feet and ran back into the house.

"Katrina!" Martin called out.

"Leave me alone!" she yelled, running up the stairs.

A few seconds later, Martin heard the sound of her bedroom door slamming.

Katrina didn't want to believe it was true. It couldn't be true. It just seemed too unreal to be true. Gabriel couldn't be gone! There was no way she could imagine life without him.

It had to be one horrible mistake.

Katrina picked up a picture frame from the dresser, looking at the picture of them smiling on their wedding day. Back then, they had so many dreams, so many plans. This wasn't a part of the plan. Gabriel wasn't supposed to go now. They were supposed to die together. He couldn't be gone.

But then, Martin's words kept repeating in her head.

_Katrina, Gabriel isn't at the hospital. He's…he's gone. He's gone. He's gone. His neck was broken. I can take care of the funeral arrangements for you. Kat…he…he didn't make it. He's gone._

"No," Katrina said aloud, her head telling her he was gone but her heart otherwise. She collapsed on the bed, burying her head in her pillow as she cried. She couldn't stop crying. Even when her body was so worn out from crying, the tears still continued to fall.

Katrina closed her eyes, telling herself that this was just a nightmare. She would go to sleep, and when she would wake up, things would be back to normal.

~*~*~*~

Katrina wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping. It had to have been a while though since the room was much more brighter than before. She had thought that this would work…that things would be the way they were supposed to be. But they weren't. Once again, she was reminded of the awful truth. The love of her life was…she couldn't even bear to think it, much less say it.

Katrina sat up on the bed, hearing some commotion outside. She walked over to the window, seeing someone's car leave the driveway and down the path away from Kovich Manor. She noticed a familiar car in the driveway…her mother's. She was always there when her children needed her the most.

And suddenly, all she could think about was _her_ baby. She had been so grief-stricken before that she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of Rafe sooner. Her Rafe…her poor baby! He had lost someone too. Katrina walked over to the bathroom, quickly splashing some water on her face to make herself look somewhat decent. Then she headed out the door.

It was time to face reality. She couldn't stay holed up in her room forever.

When Katrina came downstairs, she found Martin and her mother sitting on the couch waiting for her. Simona sat in the chair across from them, giving her a sympathetic look.

"Kat, I'm so sorry, baby," Katrina's mother said, walking over to her and giving her a hug.

"Mother," she said softly, not knowing what else to say.

Simona walked over to her, hugging her silently. No one really knew the appropriate words to say at a time like this. What could anyone say? Nothing would bring Gabriel back to them.

Katrina pulled away, looking at everyone staring at her with sad eyes. "Where's Rafe?"

"He's in the den," Martin answered.

"Has anyone told him?"

"No. We thought you should be the one."

Katrina shook her head. She understood.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Martin asked.

"No. I think I should do this by myself."

The walk down that hallway seemed like an eternity. She now knew what her mother felt like when she and Martin had learned of their father's death. But they had been much older. Rafe was just a child. Katrina couldn't imagine losing a parent at the tender age of five.

Katrina opened the door and peered inside. Rafe was sprawled out on the floor with a writing pad. That seemed to be his favorite activity lately. Many children begged their parents for expensive toys, only to toss them aside the next day, but not Rafe. Give him a pencil and some paper, and he was happy.

"Rafe?"

"Mommy! Look, I wrote some words! It says 'I love Mommy and Daddy and Uncle Martin and Grandma Simona and Grandma Caterina and Grandpa Kovich and Grandpa Antonescu and…and…um, and the servants!" Rafe proudly showed his mother his writing. He had a long string of letters together, making nonsense paragraphs.

"You're getting so good at that," she said, trying to smile.

"Where's Daddy? Uncle Martin won't tell me."

"Come here. We have to talk about something." Katrina sat down on the couch and he joined her.

"Mommy, why do you look so sad?"

"Well, Rafe, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. Rafe, when we go to church, you know how they talk about heaven?"

"Yes."

"Do you know what heaven is?"

"Heaven is where angels live."

"That's right. Well when people die, they go to heaven. And last night, it was Daddy's time to go. He went to heaven."

"When is he coming back?"

Katrina had to stop herself from crying. This had to be the hardest thing she ever did. "No, Rafe. When you go to heaven, you can't come back."

"Well when can he come back, Mommy?"

"No, Rafe." Katrina paused, trying to regain her composure and to think of a way to explain this better to him. "Rafe, do you remember that little kitten that used to hang around here? And we called her Stormy because her fur was so gray that she looked like a little storm cloud?"

"I loved Stormy. I miss her."

"Do you remember what happened to Stormy?"

"Daddy said that mean tomcat came and hurt her real bad."

"That's right. And do you remember how it looked like Stormy was sleeping?"

"Yeah. I kept saying, 'Stormy, wake up. Wake up, Stormy.' But she wouldn't. And she had blood on her."

"Rafe, sweetie, that's what dying is. It's like when you go to sleep, and you just don't wake up."

Rafe suddenly got up from the couch and ran out the room.

"Rafe?" Katrina called out, following him up the stairs and into the master bedroom.

Rafe looked up at his mother with a confused expression on his face. "Daddy's not sleeping. Daddy's not even in bed. Where is he?"

Katrina couldn't hide her tears anymore. She kneeled down to Rafe's level, putting her arms on his shoulders. "Baby, Daddy's gone, just like Stormy."

"Daddy put Stormy in a box and buried her." The expression on Rafe's face changed, as if he finally understood. "Is Daddy going to be buried too?"

Katrina nodded, finding it difficult to say the words.

"Daddy's not coming back?"

Katrina shook her head no.

Rafe's chin began to quiver, and then the tears began to fall.

"I know, baby," Katrina said softly as she hugged Rafe, hugging him tighter the louder he sobbed. Katrina picked her son up and laid him on the bed, and they cried together.

~*~*~*~

"Katrina?" Martin knocked softly on her bedroom door and poked his head in.

Katrina looked up as Martin walked in and sat on the bed. Rafe was asleep. Katrina lay beside him, running her fingers along his hair.

Martin looked down at Rafe with concern. "How's Rafe?"

"He misses his father. Every time he wakes up, he calls out for his daddy." Katrina rested her head on the pillow, trying not to cry again.

"Katrina, I'm worried about you. You've been sleeping for hours. Why don't you come downstairs and get something to eat? The neighbors have been bringing over food all day."

"I don't feel like seeing anyone."

"But you must be hungry. You haven't eaten a thing today."

"I'm not hungry."

Just then, Rafe stirred, slowly opening his eyes.

"Hey, kiddo," Martin said softly.

"Uncle Martin, Daddy's gone."

"I know. Hey, why don't we let your mother rest for a while, and you and me will go downstairs to get something to eat? Are you hungry?"

Rafe nodded.

Martin turned around, letting Rafe climb up on his back. Martin picked him up and turned around to face his sister. "Are you sure you don't want to come downstairs?"

"Maybe later."

"Well if you change your mind…" Martin trailed off, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.

"I just want to sleep," she answered.

Martin understood. His sister just needed some space. He walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Once alone, Katrina became aware of how quiet it was. Laughter and happiness used to fill this house, but not today. Katrina wanted to sleep so that she could forget the pain, or at least remember the happiness through her dreams. But sleep would not come. After a few minutes, she couldn't stand it anymore. She stood up, picking up the candle on the nightstand, and walked into the bathroom. She figured if anything could relax her at least a little, it would be a bath.

When Katrina finished with her bath, she was surprised to find a tray of food on the dresser. Martin had scribbled a note.

_I know you said you weren't hungry, but I thought I'd bring you up something anyway. Please eat something.  
-Martin._

But she didn't feel like eating anything. The thought of eating made her sick.

As she walked back over to her bed, something else surprised her. Her locket was on her pillow. Katrina picked it up, noticing that the clasp that had broken before was now fixed. She noticed another note from her brother.

_Thought you might like this fixed. - Martin._

Katrina smiled. She had forgotten all about the locket. Katrina put it back around her neck, right where it belonged.

But something was still missing. Looking over at the empty side of the bed, Katrina was reminded once again of the loss she felt.

As she was about to settle back into bed, Katrina saw Gabriel's shirt draped across the chair. It was his favorite shirt, and the one he was wearing the last time she saw him. Katrina walked over to the chair and took that shirt, holding it close to her nose. It still smelled like him.

Katrina went back to bed, holding the shirt close to her. And in a way, it brought her comfort.

 


	71. Chapter 71

originally posted 6-29-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

71

~*~*~*~

By early morning, Katrina finally emerged from her bedroom. The house was quiet. Maybe everyone was still sleeping. Katrina walked down the stairs and down the hallway, not really sure where she was going.

And suddenly, she found herself in the one room she hated the most.

Gabriel's study.

Katrina walked over to the desk and sat down at the chair. She had never bothered looking in the drawers before, but she was curious now. There were several dozen pens, notepads, and other odds and ends. And then, an old newspaper clipping caught her eye. Katrina picked it up, looking at the man in the photograph. He looked dark and sinister. She didn't need to read the name in the caption to know who he was. Katrina rummaged around in the drawer, looking for a book of matches. She found one, and took out a match and lit it. Katrina held the match up to the picture, watching the flames cover his face and turn the paper black.

"I hope you burn in hell, Caleb Morley." Katrina blew the flame out, the heat becoming too close for comfort.

Looking on the desk, she saw a wooden stake. That was when something came over Katrina. She was angry. She hated them. She hated them all. But especially him. He took away her Gabe. Katrina glanced around, noticing the whole room was filled with reminders of vampires and how much she hated them.

Katrina hopped up from the chair and opened the window wide open. The first thing she grabbed was that stake. She tossed it out as far as she could throw.

Then, she looked through all of the drawers she could find, seeing boxes full of silver bullets and piles of more wooden stakes, carved by Gabriel himself. She grabbed a handful and tossed it out, not stopping until the drawer was completely empty.

Katrina moved on the bookshelf. Every single one of these books…vampires, vampires, and more vampires. "I'm so sick of hearing about vampires!" she said, taking armloads of books and throwing them out the window. "So sick of it!" she said again, turning around as this sudden rage came over her. She pushed everything off the desk. She threw items on the shelves to the floor. Pictures hanging on the wall were ripped down and thrown across the room, the glass in the frames shattering.

And when she opened the closet, she became angrier. There was another damn crossbow! "I never want to see you again!" she yelled, taking the weapon out and adding it to the growing pile of vampire memorabilia out in the yard.

"Katrina, stop!" Martin said, rushing into the room after hearing all the commotion.

Katrina stopped and looked at her brother. Tears ran down her face, and she was out of breath.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm getting rid of everything that makes me think of the word ‘vampire’, that's what!" Katrina looked on the shelf, seizing several bottles of holy water, then throwing them out as well.

"Hey, calm down. I know you're angry, but tearing up this room isn't going to bring him back."

Katrina took a deep breath. "Martin, will you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"All that stuff out in the yard. I want you to burn it. I never want to see it again."

With that, Katrina left the room, not giving Martin a chance to respond.

~*~*~*~

The days were hard. But the nights…they were even harder. Katrina sat in bed, staring at the empty side. Gabriel always had to have the right side of the bed. He couldn't sleep unless he was on the right side. Katrina could sleep on any side, just as long as he was beside her. But now, sleep was impossible.

Gabriel always warmed the bed up, but now, the sheets were cold. But at least his pillow still smelled like him. The smell of his scent lingering would sometimes trick her mind, calming her down and making her think that he was still there. But he wasn't. And now, his scent was slowly starting to fade.

"Mommy!"

Katrina, distracted from her thoughts, looked up as Rafe ran into the room and jumped up on the bed.

"Look, Mommy." In his hand, Rafe held a wooden stake. He handed it to his mother.

"Rafe, where did you get this?"

"Downstairs, on the desk in Daddy's study. I think Daddy came back!"

"No, baby, Daddy's not back."

"But I didn't see it there this morning, and now it's back. Daddy always puts it there when he gets back."

Katrina felt her eyes well up with tears. This was so hard. "Rafe, do you remember when we talked about how Daddy's in heaven now?

"Yes. When will he come back?"

"Baby, Daddy's not coming back. Remember how I told you that once you go to heaven, you can't come back?"

"I know, but Daddy said he'd always come back, no matter what."

"Rafe, once someone goes to heaven, they can't come back anymore."

"Well maybe heaven will let him come back."

Katrina looked into Rafe's eyes. He was so innocent. He really believed what he was saying.

"Don't cry, Mommy. He'll come back. Daddy always promised he would. And Daddy never breaks a promise."

Katrina wrapped her arms around Rafe, hugging him tight. "I'm so blessed to have you."

"I love you, Mommy," Rafe said, giving his mother a kiss on her cheek.

"I love you, too. Come here," she said, pulling the covers back so that Rafe could climb under them. She tucked him in and gave him a kiss. And before long, Rafe was asleep, and so was she.

~*~*~*~

Morning came. Katrina was awake, but she didn't feel like getting out of bed. She'd been lying there for twenty minutes, watching her son sleep soundly beside her.

Her brother was downstairs pounding on the front door, but she ignored it. If he wanted to come in, he had a key.

Rafe's arm twitched in his sleep, but he didn't appear to be waking up anytime soon.

"Katrina," said Martin, opening the door quietly. "Are you okay? Didn't you hear me knocking?"

"I didn't feel like coming to the door."

Martin walked into the room, sitting on the bed beside her. "I just wanted to check on you. Is there anything I can get for you? Anything I can do?"

"Go back in time? Fix things so that Gabriel doesn't die? Bring him back to life?"

"You know I would if I could, Katrina."

"But it's not possible. I know."

"Katrina, I know how you feel. When I lost Sonia, I didn't feel like living anymore. I didn't know how to go on without her. And it's hard. But I promise, Katrina, it is going to get better. No matter how bad things look now. The pain will stop. I mean, you'll always be sad about it, but one day, you won't hurt for every second of the day. You have to go on for Rafe. He needs you, Katrina. You can't keep shutting the world out like this."

Katrina was quiet. She ran her fingers along Rafe's hair.

Martin looked over to the nightstand, seeing the wooden stake. "What's this doing here?"

Katrina looked at the stake, remembering last night. "Rafe found it downstairs and brought it up here. He thought his father was back. He doesn't understand." Katrina looked down at her son, moving a stray hair away from his eyes. "Why did you bring that thing back into the house, anyway? I told you I wanted all of it gone."

"You know why, Katrina."

"No. Uh-uh." Katrina shook her head, not wanting to hear it.

"He has a gift."

"It's a curse! And anyway, it doesn't matter. I've decided we're leaving Kovich Manor. We'll move far away and leave it all behind."

"You can't run from this, Kat. Evil always catches up to you. Isn't that what Gabriel used to say? Don't you think this is what he would want you to do?"

Katrina looked at her brother with sad eyes. "Don't you see, Martin? Rafe is all I have left of him." Katrina looked at Rafe, running her finger along the side of his face. "He's got his eyes. And he's got his hair. When I look at him, I see Gabriel. Rafe is a part of both of us. Our love brought him into this world. I won't let him take away my baby, too."

"You wouldn't be alive today if Gabriel hadn't have saved you. Don't you want to allow Rafe to give someone that same chance, someday? It's his destiny to protect people."

"And I'm his mother. Mothers are supposed to protect their children. I won't let that monster hurt my baby. I just won't. He's already taken the love of my life. I'm not letting him take away Rafe too."

"Katrina, no one's expecting Rafe to go out and fight Caleb now. But when the time is right, it'll be up to him. And who knows...maybe he'll be the one to rid the world of that evil bastard."

"Just go, Martin. You came here and you said what you had to say. Now it's time for you to leave."

"Katrina…"

"Just go."

Martin got to his feet. "I'll be back later to check on you." He looked down at his sleeping nephew and touched his head softly. Then he walked out the room.

Katrina laid back down, pulling Rafe closer to her and holding him tight. Martin just didn't understand. He didn't have a child. "I'll fight Caleb first before he ever lays a hand on you," she whispered.

~*~*~*~

"But I found it, Grandma! It's Daddy's stake. He must have came back!"

Katrina had decided to come downstairs for a while. She'd spent so much time closed up in her room, she hadn't thought to think that everyone else was suffering just as much. She stopped at the doorway of the den, hearing Rafe's voice.

"See? Look at it, Grandma. This is Daddy's." Rafe held up the stake to prove his point.

"Rafe, you're right, this does belong to your father. But sweetie, he's not coming back."

"Yes he is! I found it last night and it wasn't there before! Daddy must have put it back."

"No, Rafe, your uncle put it there." Simona looked her grandson in the eye, knowing that in his heart, he didn't want to believe his father was gone. Neither did she, but it was important for him to understand. "Come here, Rafe. I want to show you something."

Simona got up from the couch and walked over to the bookcase. She ran her fingers along the photo albums until she found the one she was looking for.

"Pictures?"

"Yes. Pictures. Come sit down and look at them with me."

Rafe curled up on the couch with his grandmother as she laid the photo album between them. "Your mother was the one to put this photo album together. She made it for you. It's a collection of pictures of your family."

"There's Mommy and Daddy. And that's me!"

"Yes. And who's that?" Simona turned the page, pointing to another picture.

"That's Grandpa Kovich."

"And who's that?"

"Grandpa Antonescu, with Mommy and Uncle Martin and Grandma Caterina."

Simona turned a few more pages. "Do you know who this woman is?"

"She's…she's...um…I forgot her name."

"This is your great Aunt Andrea. She was your Grandpa Kovich's sister. And these people right here, they're your great grandparents. They're your father's grandparents."

"These pictures look old."

"They are. Rafe, do you know where your grandfathers and great grandparents and your Aunt Andrea are?"

"Mommy says they're in heaven."

"Yes."

"But that's where Daddy is too."

"Your daddy is with them."

Rafe's eyes lit up. "Maybe we could go visit them! We could see Daddy! And I never met my grandpas before!"

"No, Rafe. Heaven isn't a place you can visit. You can't get there by train or car or boat or plane. The only way to get there is when it's your time to go."

"Will I get to go to heaven?"

"Yes. Good people go to heaven, and you're especially good."

"Will I be going to heaven soon? So I can see them?"

"No Rafe, you have to stay here with your mother. She needs you right now. But don't worry, your father knows you miss him. He's watching over you."

"Watching over me?"

"Yes. And your grandfathers and your aunt and all of your family. They're all watching over you from heaven."

"How can they see us?" Rafe looked up to the ceiling, wondering if he could see anyone watching them.

Simona laughed. "I don't know. Maybe they have special televisions in heaven. But you see, Rafe, that's why your father isn't coming back. It's because he's up in heaven now visiting the rest of our family. But he's still watching over us, and he wants you to stay here on earth and take good care of your mother. Can you do that?"

"Yes. But I miss him."

"But he's not gone." Simona put a finger on his chest. "He's right here, in your heart. And he'll be there forever. You understand, now?"

Rafe nodded.

Simona smiled, taking Rafe's face in her hands and giving his forehead a kiss. Then she pulled back, taking a closer look at his face. "Rafe, how did you get dirt on your face?"

Rafe shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know."

"You must have gone outside this morning. Well, why don't you go wash your face, and then go to the kitchen and see if Corinna can make you a sandwich or something. It's getting close to lunch time."

"Okay." Rafe hopped off the couch and ran out the room.

"Thank you for talking to Rafe."

Simona looked up, seeing Katrina standing in the doorway. "Katrina, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." Katrina walked into the room and took a seat on the couch. "Rafe's been having a really hard time accepting what happened."

"He's young. Sometimes it's difficult for young children to understand. But he'll bounce back. He always does. It's you I'm worried about."

"I just miss him so much."

"I know you do. So do I." Simona wrapped her arms around Katrina. "But it's like I told Rafe, you know he's not really gone. He'll always be in your heart."

Katrina pulled away and stared at Simona. "How do you stay so strong at a time like this? This must be so hard on you too."

"My faith. My belief that good always wins in the end."

"Good didn't win this time."

"But look at all of the good Gabriel has already accomplished. And just because he's not with us anymore, it doesn't mean he still isn't doing good things. He's watching over all us, keeping us safe, just as he was before."

"I hate that there's so much evil in the world."

"That's why God put slayers on earth. To balance the evil out."

Katrina looked down at her wedding band, twisting it around her finger.

"So is it true? Are you really leaving?"

The question took Katrina by surprise. Her brother must have said something. "I don't want to. But I don't know how much more of the vampires I can take. I'm scared for Rafe."

"I know what you're going through. I went through it myself. When Alexander was killed, the last thing in the world I wanted was for my son to go out and take his father's place. But in the end, I accepted the fact that it was his calling, and who am I to interfere?"

"But that was different, Simona."

"How so?"

"Gabriel was fifteen. He was already a young man old enough to make his own decisions. And he had experience. Years of it! He told me he slayed his first vampire when he was eleven. Rafe is just a child. And I know no one expects him to go out and fight vampires now but the fact is that his father is gone and he took all of his slayer knowledge with him."

"Katrina, you don't need to worry about that. We'll all help Rafe. But what you're forgetting is that Rafe doesn't need much help at all, only guidance. Rafe has incredible instincts. All slayers do. And that's something no one can teach him."

"Simona, I never got to say goodbye to Gabriel. I woke up in the middle of the night and he was gone. Am I going to have to go through the same thing with Rafe one day? Will I wake up one morning and find that my child never came home the night before? I don't know if I can go through with that again. All I want is for Rafe to be happy and to live a normal life, and I don't know if I can make that happen here."

"Katrina, if you choose to leave, that's your decision, and I'll understand. But let me tell you something that I learned a long time ago. You can take the slayer out of Transylvania, but you can't take the slayer out of Rafe. He's a very special child." Simona stood up and patted her on the shoulder. "Just think about it. I have some things I need to do before the service." With that, Simona left the room.

Katrina looked over to the table, seeing one of her favorite pictures. She picked the picture up, touching the glass over Gabriel's face. It was a picture taken not too long ago. Rafe sat on his father's shoulders. It would be hard to tell from that picture that it would all change in just a matter of weeks. She knew what the right decision was. She thought about what Gabriel would want her to do, and she had her answer.

"Mommy?"

Katrina set the picture down and looked at Rafe standing in the doorway. He walked over to her and sat in her lap, smelling of peanut butter.

"Yes, baby?"

"I heard you talking to Grandma. Are we moving? Because I don't want to move."

Katrina gave her son a hug. "No, Rafe. We're not going anywhere."

~*~*~*~

Katrina stood in front of the flower-adorned casket with a blank expression on her face. The priest was talking, but she wasn't listening. She was dressed in black from head to toe. She hated the color black. The color was so dreadful and gloomy, but today, it matched her mood.

And then, something changed. Was something happening?

"Katrina," Martin whispered, "They're going to lower the casket now."

"No!" Katrina suddenly cried, throwing her body over the casket. "You promised you'd never leave me, Gabriel! You said you'd never leave me! What about all of our plans? We were going to have more children and we were going to grow old together!"

Martin rushed over to her, gently pulling her away.

"Oh, Gabe, you can't leave me!" she continued to cry. "You can't leave me!"

Caterina held Rafe tight in her arms as she wept for her daughter. Rafe looked away, burying his head into his grandmother's shoulder.

And there, Katrina lost it. She wept so hard that her knees gave out, and she collapsed in her brother's arms.

~*~*~*~

Katrina stood in front of the mirror, looking at the miserable image reflecting back. Gabriel always said she had the prettiest smile. But now that Gabriel was gone, she hated looking at herself in the mirror. Her smile was gone.

"Daddy…" Rafe whimpered as he tossed and turned in his sleep.

Katrina walked over to him and sat on the bed. Since the funeral, a change had come over Rafe. Rafe seemed to not want to leave his mother's side, and he couldn't sleep in his own room that night. It was almost as if he was afraid she would go too. She knew he finally realized that as much as he wanted to believe his father would return, he wasn't coming back. He wasn't taking the news so well, and Katrina supposed her reaction at the graveyard hadn't helped.

Rafe awoke in tears. He sat up and started to sob louder.

"I know, baby," she said, putting her arms around him as she tried to console him. Katrina reached for a tissue, wiping the tears away from his cheeks. "Mommy's here, and I'm not going anywhere. Go back to sleep." Katrina laid him down, still holding on to him. Whenever he was upset or sad, she'd often tell him his favorite story. Rafe loved hearing it and was always asking his mother to tell it.

"You were born on a cold winter's night in January. And it was snowing. It was snowing like I've never seen it snow before. We were afraid the midwife wouldn't make it in time, because you were so eager to come into this world. After you were born, she put you in my arms, and this overwhelming feeling of love came over me. I had only known you a few seconds, but I already loved you more than I loved myself."

"Your daddy and I thought you were the most beautiful baby boy in the whole world. You had these amazing hazel green eyes and this cute little button nose. Daddy and I would just watch you. We watched you all the time. Even when you were just sleeping and doing nothing at all, we'd watch you. We couldn't take our eyes away from you. We kissed your cheeks. We touched your fuzzy little hair. We counted your little fingers and squeezed your little toes."

"I'll always remember the look on your father's face when he held you for the first time. Every day, he watched my stomach get bigger and bigger, knowing that you were inside of me growing, and he couldn't wait until he finally got to meet you. He knew you were a boy. The whole time, he knew in his heart that we were going to have a little boy. And when he held you for that first time, he had the biggest grin on his face, like he was the happiest man on Earth. And you looked up at him with your big green eyes, and you moved your little hand to his and you grabbed his finger. You held on so tight. And Gabriel looked at me and said, 'He's most definitely a Kovich. He's got the grip of a slayer.'"

Katrina looked down at Rafe, realizing Rafe was sleeping once again. She smiled and gave him a kiss on his head. Then she laid her head down on the pillow, closing her eyes, hoping sleep could come that easily to her as well.

~*~*~*~

Rafe awoke, feeling like something wasn't quite right. He looked over to Alison's side of the bed, seeing she wasn't there. Of course…that was the problem. He could never sleep too long without her by his side. Rafe yawned as he looked at the clock. One-thirty in the morning. What was Alison doing up so late?

Rafe walked into the living room, seeing the fire going, the lamp on, and Alison fast asleep on the couch. One of his mother's journals had fallen to the floor, and there were wads of Kleenexes scattered about. Rafe smiled at her. She looked so beautiful when she was sleeping. Rafe picked up the journal, glancing at his mother's writing. It had been so long since he'd seen it. He carefully laid it on the table.

Rafe turned off the lamp, letting the firelight illuminate the room. He then grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch, wrapping her up. He kneeled down, smoothing her hair with the palm of his hand, then gently placing a kiss on her temple.

Just as he was about to walk way, her heard her voice.

"Rafe?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Alison sat up, looking a little confused. "What time is it?"

"One-thirty a.m. Looks like you fell asleep on the couch. I was just wrapping you up. I didn't want you to get cold." Rafe noticed the strange expression on Alison's face. Something was bothering her. "Alison? Are you okay?"

Alison took her hand and touched the side of his face, giving him a sympathetic look. "Oh, Rafe, I'm so sorry."

Rafe looked at her, confused.

"I know I always complain about my father. I go on and on about how he's never there for me and how he's always letting me down. But at least he's still alive. But yours, yours was just ripped from you. You had a father that loved and cared about you and just like that, he was gone. I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you. Do you remember much about him?"

Rafe smiled. "Yeah, I remember him. I think we were a lot alike, at least, that's what my mother used to always tell me. We spent so much time together. He was always showing me something, or teaching me new things. He was very serious about it all. But then other times, he'd let loose and be crazy. Like when I was really little, he'd sometimes pick me up and hold me over his head, then spin me around a few times. I loved it. My mother not so much though." Rafe smiled, lost in a memory that he hadn't thought about in a long time.

So that's where he got his playful nature from, Alison thought. She laughed, thinking of how he always played games like that with Christina.

"My mother had the most beautiful smile. It was like when she smiled, her eyes just glowed, radiating with happiness. After my father died, she would still smile from time to time, but that glow in her eyes, it was gone forever."

"I know that was such a hard time for your mother. I think about the time when you had to go back to heaven, and I thought I'd never see you again. I was completely lost without you. I was lucky that you got to return to me. I don't want to think what life without you would be like."

"My mother often told me that if it wasn't for me, she wouldn't have had the strength to go on."

"I know she was grateful to have you in her life. I know I certainly am."

Rafe smiled at her and gave her a little kiss. "How about we finish this conversation in the morning? It's late and we have to get up early to go over to Lucy's."

"Oh that's right. It's Thanksgiving."

"Come on, let's go to bed."

Rafe took Alison's hand and helped her up off the couch.

Once in bed, Alison curled up against Rafe, putting her arms around him. He did the same.

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Rafe kissed her, and then Alison rested her head on his chest. Within minutes, they were both sound asleep.

 


	72. Chapter 72

originally posted 7-1-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

72

~*~*~*~

"Rafe, Alison, come on in," Kevin said, opening the door and welcoming them into the house. "Dinner will probably be a little while longer. Hopefully not too much though. Just make yourselves at home."

"Thanks, Kevin," Rafe said, taking Alison's coat and putting it on the coat rack for her.

"I'm going to go see if Lucy needs any help in the kitchen," Alison said.

"Alright."

"Hey Rafe!"

Rafe looked to the couch, seeing the men crowded around the television. Jack motioned for Rafe to come over.

"Come watch the football game, man. Lions vs. the Patriots!"

Rafe looked at the television, then back at Jack. "That's not football."

"Oh, right, I forget you grew up in Europe. We call that soccer. This is American football, a Thanksgiving Day tradition."

"Oh, of course, I knew that," Rafe said rather quickly as he sat down on the couch to join the guys. "So um, which team are we rooting for?"

"Patriots!" Jack said proudly.

"Oh. So um, which ones are those? Red or blue?"

"They're the ones in the red jerseys. Yeah, the Patriots are pretty great. But the Dallas Cowboys are playing later today, and they're unbeatable! I can't wait for that game. Redskins are going down."

"Football must be really big on Thanksgiving."

"Yeah, but not as big as Super Bowl Sunday," Frank said, overhearing their conversation.

"Super what?"

Jack looked at Rafe and couldn't help but laugh. "You really don't watch much football do you?"

Rafe shook his head.

"Okay, I'll tell you everything you need to know…"

xoxo 

_Quack!_

"Sigmund, look! I keep telling you, there is no bird in the oven! It's tofu turkey!" Lucy opened the oven. "See? It's tofu! Does that look like a real bird to you?"

_Quack! Quack!_

Christina sat at the table and laughed.

"Sigmund, what has gotten into you? I know Thanksgiving may be somewhat of a difficult time for you but you've got to understand that I rescued you! You know I wouldn't think of eating one of your little bird friends!"

_Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack!_

"Okay, girls, take him out. Take him out and then why don't you go upstairs and watch a parade or something."

"Come on, Sigmund," Serena said, walking out the door with her sister and the duck following.

Alison laughed. "Are you stressed out, Lucy?"

"Alison? Oh hey! I'm glad you're here. No, I'm not stressed out! It's just—okay! I am stressed out! It's like everything that could go wrong has gone wrong! This kitchen is a mess already, I've got too many things going on at once, and did you know that I actually forgot the cranberry sauce? How can it be Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce?"

"Okay, Lucy, calm down. Breathe!" Alison put her hands on Lucy's shoulders, forcing her to focus. "Everything's going to be just fine, okay?"

"Oh, I hope so! It's me and Doc's first Thanksgiving since the wedding. I just want everything to be perfect."

"I'm sure it will Lucy," Livvie said, walking into the kitchen and sitting down at the table.

"Livvie, are you okay?" Alison asked, noticing Livvie didn't sound quite like herself.

"Don't come too close, Ali. I've got a cold." Livvie took a tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose.

"And you need to be in bed, missy!" Lucy scolded. "What are you doing down here? I thought I told you to go upstairs and rest."

"I just came down to see how things were going."

"Things are going fine," Lucy said as she got a glass out of the cabinet and looked into the refrigerator. She put the glass on the table and poured some orange juice in it. "What you need is some vitamin C, and some rest."

Livvie took the glass of juice. "Okay, fine, I'll go back and rest. Let me know when dinner is ready."

"Feel better, Livvie," Alison said.

"Okay, let's see, I've got…" Lucy looked at her watch, "Oh no, my watch stopped! Oh, no, what time is it?!" Lucy ran over to the oven to check on the tofu turkey. "Oh thank heavens it's not burned! It's not time to take it out yet, though."

"Oh, it looks delicious, Lucy," Alison said, peering into the oven. "Don't worry, everything's going to be perfect."

"Lucy, I've got the cranberry sauce," Mary said, walking into the room a bowl full of it.

"See? I told you!" Alison said. "Mary, that's great! She was just saying she had forgot that!"

"Well, Lucy, I told you it'd be no problem to whip some up and swing it back over here."

"Okay, maybe you're right. Maybe everything will go as planned." Lucy started to calm down. "Just as long as nothing burns."

"Let's just see what else we have to do," Mary said, taking a survey of what was still cooking and what was finished.

"Has the table been set?" Alison asked.

"Oh no!" Lucy panicked. "I haven't even started on the table! What if the food is ready before the table is set? Or even worse, what if I don't have enough food for everyone? Or room!"

"I'll take care of this, dear," Mary said, turning to Alison. "Why don't you go rest for a while."

"Okay, I think I will." Alison decided that being around stressed out Lucy on Thanksgiving wasn't such a good idea, for her or Lucy.

When Alison walked into the living room, she was a little surprised at what she saw. Was Rafe watching…football? And _enjoying_ it?

She walked over to him, tapping him on the shoulder gently. "Rafe, sweetie?"

"Hmm?" he mumbled, his eyes glued to the screen.

"I'm going to go for a little walk."

"Okay," he said, half paying attention.

Alison frowned. Rafe was usually a better listener. "Actually it'll be more like a power walk. Maybe I'll even run in a marathon."

"Don't wear yourself out."

What? No reaction from that? As far as Rafe was concerned, Alison had to take it easy from now on. "And tomorrow, I'm taking the emergency credit card out to Wyndham's for the sales. You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

"No, have fun, Angel."

Yes, something was definitely wrong if Rafe had no reaction to that! Alison looked at the boys, having their fun, watching the game. They were turning Rafe into one of them! Alison had a hunch at who was to blame. She picked up a magazine lying on the table and rolled it up, then gave Jack a good whack on the head with it.

"Oww!" Jack turned around, annoyed. "Hey, what did you do that for, Ali?"

"What did you do to him?"

"Huh?"

"Rafe! What did you do to him?"

"What are you talking about? We're just watching the game…"

"WOOOO!" the guys yelled out.

"Oh man, I missed it!" Jack complained, turning his attention back to the game.

"That's why they have replay," Alison mumbled under her breath, putting on her coat and heading out the door.

~*~*~*~

It was a cloudy day, and the air was crisp and chilly. Alison smiled, knowing that it would snow soon. She couldn't wait for it to snow. Every time she thought about it snowing, she'd think about last January, when Rafe was still an angel and had just come back to Port Charles after New Year's. She caught herself laughing out loud, thinking of how they made snow angels and drank hot chocolate…and the image of Rafe ice skating, or rather, _trying_ to ice skate. She thought about the time she asked him what did he want most in the world, and he said to kiss her. That had certainly been a moment that changed everything.

So much had changed in a year. Here it was, almost Christmas again. She couldn't believe how fast time flew. It seemed like only yesterday, she was helping Rafe reunite the couples after Caleb's aftermath. Little did she know how much would change, and that Rafe would get to stay with her forever.

Alison found herself walking to the church. Their special church. She walked up the steps and into the church, taking a deep breath. As she walked down the aisle, memories of her wedding day flooded her. She remembered the way Rafe smiled at her as he watched her walk down the aisle, wearing her beautiful wedding gown. She remembered how there were pink roses everywhere, and how everyone was smiling and laughing. It had been the most perfect day. Alison touched her stomach, thinking about how she and Rafe would have many more wonderful days together.

It was quiet in the church. No one was around. Alison took a seat, looking up at the cross on the wall. "Katrina? Are you up there listening?" Alison waited a moment. The church was still just as quiet.

"I've been reading your journals a lot lately. I hope you don't mind. I just really wanted to get to know you. And Rafe was right. He said if I read them, I'd know what kind of person you are, and I feel as if I already know you. I don't know if anyone has ever told you this, but I think you were a wonderful mother to Rafe. Of course, anyone who knows Rafe knows that he had to have pretty wonderful parents. He's so amazing. I wish my mother could have been as caring and loving as you were. But we can't always choose our family. Rafe was very fortunate."

"And also, I wanted you to know something. I know you had so many hopes for Rafe, so many dreams. Well they all came true, each and every one of them. Caleb's gone, and Rafe's living the most normal life. And he's happily married. And by spring, he'll be a father. Of course, what am I telling you this for? I'm sure you already know."

"I guess I just wanted to thank you. It's Thanksgiving, and I certainly have a lot to be thankful for. Thank you for bringing such an amazing person into this world. I love Rafe. I love him so much, with all my heart. I like to think that I love him just as much as you love Gabriel. I'm so blessed to have him. He really is special, and I'm so glad he came into my life. I feel really lucky that we were able to get a second chance at it all. I wish you and Gabriel could have had that same chance. Well, I'm sure you're both happy and together now."

Alison suddenly heard the sound of church bells, chiming at the hour.

"Oh, I should go. I didn't realize I would be out so long." Alison stood up with a smile on her face. "Thank you," she whispered, then scurried out of the church, hoping she wouldn't be late for Lucy's Thanksgiving dinner. And after she left, a soft light illuminated the church, and Katrina appeared. She smiled, thinking of how special Alison was. She knew what her son saw in her. She had a beautiful heart. "Thank you for making my son happy, Alison," she said, then faded away.

~*~*~*~

Alison arrived back at the lighthouse, and apparently, just in time. The table was all set and everyone was beginning to take their seats.

"Hey, there you are," Rafe said, pulling her close to him and kissing her gently. "Where did you go?"

"Rafe, I went for a walk. I told you, remember?"

"Oh, yeah…"

Alison grinned. "Did you have fun watching the game?"

"Oh, sure. Yeah, the guys were all watching it and I figured it'd look strange if I didn't join them. But I'm not into it that much."

"Oh, of course," Alison said, smiling.

"So, you had a good walk?"

"Yeah. It was really nice."

"Well, are you ready to go eat? Because I'm starving! Although, I'm a little worried about the tofu turkey thing." Rafe raised an eyebrow. "Do you think it'll be as good as the real thing?"

Alison laughed. "I don't know, but if you know what's good for you, you'll eat every bite. Otherwise Lucy will unleash the duck on you."

Rafe laughed. "Come on. Everyone's starting to settle down."

"Wait, Rafe." Alison tugged on his arm, pulling him back.

"Yeah?"

"I just wanted to tell you. When I was out walking, I had the chance to do a lot of thinking. Rafe, I'm so thankful to have you in my life. I just feel so blessed, and I don't know what I'd do without you. I think of all of the times we've had to say goodbye, thinking it'd be our last time seeing each other. I don't ever want to have to say goodbye to you again."

"You won't. Not ever." Rafe touched her chin and pulled her close to him, giving her a kiss. "I'm thankful to have you in my life too."

Alison grinned. "You know what else I'm thankful for?"

"What?"

"Wyndham's after Thanksgiving Day sale! By the way, thanks for not minding that I'm using the credit card."

Alison began to walk away when Rafe pulled her back. "Whoa, whoa, what are you talking about? The emergency credit card? The card we only use for emergencies?"

"A sale at Wyndham's is an emergency, Rafe." Alison laughed. "You said I could use it, remember?"

"When did I say that?"

"When you were watching the game. Remember? I told you I was going to go tomorrow. Oh, Rafe, don't tell me that you weren't listening to me."

"Oh, no I was. You're right, I remember now. You said you wanted to go to Wyndham's."

"And you said you had no problem with me using the card. You're still okay with that, right?"

"Of course!" Rafe grinned. Oh dear, what had he gotten himself into now?

Alison smiled. "Don't worry, I won't go too overboard. I'll use it to buy you something really special. You deserve it. Because I love you."

"I love you too." Rafe smiled, moving in for another kiss.

"Rafe! Alison!" Lucy called out. "Come on, it's tofu turkey time!"

"Well, you heard her," Alison laughed.

Rafe took Alison's hand, and then they joined the rest of the group for Thanksgiving dinner.

 


	73. Chapter 73

originally posted 7-2-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

73

~*~*~*~

"Wow, when you said your grandmother had a lot of Christmas decorations, you weren't kidding." Rafe walked into the living room carrying a large box…his fourth and final trip from the car.

"Well it takes a lot of ornaments to decorate a mansion! Thanks for bringing those in."

"It was nice of Amanda to give these to us."

"She's been saying for years that she was going to throw these out. Just too many of them. I'm glad she didn't." Alison sat on the floor, rummaging through one of the boxes. "Wow, I remember these. Some of my favorite ornaments when I was a little girl. Oh, and all this tinsel! You wouldn't believe how much of this we would use."

"Sounds like Christmas at the Barrington's was a pretty big deal."

Alison's smiled faded. She shook her head. "No, not really. Just a bunch of pretty lights and decorations."

Rafe was about to apologize for once again, reminding Alison of her lonely childhood, but then, she smiled at him.

"But this Christmas…this Christmas will certainly be a big deal." Alison got up from the floor and moved over to the couch, putting her arms around Rafe and sitting in his lap. "Our very first Christmas together, and it's going to be the best!"

"Technically, it's our second. Did you forget Christmas Eve last year? Kevin and Lucy's wedding?"

Alison smiled. "Our first Christmas as a _married_ couple. And technically, that was Christmas Eve, not Christmas Day, so it doesn't count." Alison laughed.

"Come here," Rafe laughed, putting his fingers under her chin and bringing her lips to his.

"Oh!" Alison said, pulling away with a stunned look on her face.

"You never had that reaction before when I kissed you," Rafe laughed.

"Oh my god! Rafe!"

"What? What is it?" Rafe said, confused by her reaction.

"I just felt the baby move," she said, almost whispering.

"The baby moved?" Rafe said excitedly.

"Yeah! Oh my god." Alison grabbed Rafe's hand, placing it over it belly. Her eyes beamed with happiness.

"I don't feel anything," he said, disappointed.

"Just wait!"

Rafe moved closer to Alison's stomach and began talking to his child. "Come on, kick for daddy. Come on."

And just like that, he felt a swift kick.

"Did you feel that?!"

Rafe looked up at Alison and smiled. "Yeah, I felt it! Alison, that's so amazing!" Rafe kept his hand over her belly, hoping he would feel it again.

And once again, he felt a small twitch under her skin.

"Did you feel that?" Alison smiled at Rafe.

"That's incredible. Absolutely incredible. You're right, this is going to be the best Christmas ever." Rafe kissed Alison.

"You know, I think the baby was trying to tell us something."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"Well, the fact that it can't possibly be the best Christmas unless we do something about that tree over there."

"That's a great idea. Why don't we go ahead and do that?" Rafe rose from the couch, giving Alison a quick kiss on the forehead, and then began to pick out ornaments from one of the boxes.

"Wait, wait, we can't start yet!"

Rafe gave Alison a confused look. "But you just said…"

"Just wait!" Alison rushed over to the CD player, looking through their collection. She finally found the one she was looking for and put the CD in.

_"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire,  
Jack Frost nipping at your nose…"_

Alison gave Rafe a smile. "We have to have Christmas music."

Rafe smiled back at Alison. "Where do you want to start?"

"Let's put the lights on first, then we'll tackle the ornaments."

Rafe laughed. "Yeah, we certainly got enough of those. I think we have enough for two trees."

"Well that's okay, we don't have to use them all. Okay, here we go. The lights." Alison picked up a tangled mess of cords and bulbs. "Now if I um…if I could just get them untangled, that would be great."

"Let me help."

Rafe and Alison sat on the floor by the tree, untangling all of the lights. Once they finally unraveled the cords, they put them on the tree, starting at the top and going round and round towards the bottom.

Then…the ornaments. It took a while, unloading all of the boxes full of so many Christmas decorations. There were all kinds of ornaments…ball ornaments, clay ornaments, even fuzzy stuffed animal ornaments. They were all beautiful.

"I think that's the last one." Alison suddenly realized, noticing an empty box.

"Well what do you know, we could actually fit all of them on there." He stood back, admiring the decorations. "That's perfect."

"Oh no."

"What's wrong?"

"It's not perfect yet!" Alison suddenly panicked.

"What's the matter?"

"What's the matter? Rafe! We forgot the most important thing!"

"What?"

"There's NOTHING on top of the tree! How could we forget that?!"

Rafe just grinned. "We didn't forget." Rafe picked up a paper bag off the chair and pulled out an angel tree topper. It, appropriately enough, had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a white dress.

"Rafe!" Alison squealed, taking the angel from him. "When did you get this? I don't remember you buying this."

"When you went to the bathroom at that arts and craft store after we got the tree, I just slipped in to browse. When I saw that, I couldn't resist buying it."

"I love it. Here, put it on the tree. I can't reach the top."

"The benefits of being tall," Rafe chuckled as he took the angel and put it in its place at the top of the tree. "How does that look?"

"Perfect. Oh wait…" Alison walked over to the wall, switching off the light. "Rafe, plug in the lights!"

"I can't. Can't see the outlet!" he laughed.

"Hurry up!" Alison said, switching back on the lights.

"Okay, turn them off." Rafe held the power switch to the lights, hoping that all the lights would work. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

Rafe switched them on, and suddenly, the room was filled with a brilliant rainbow illumination of lights. It was breathtaking.

Alison walked over to Rafe, wrapping her arms around him as he pulled her closer to him. He kissed her on top of the head, still gazing at the incredible sight of their very first Christmas tree. They didn't need to say words…they already knew that it was the most beautiful tree they had ever seen.

~*~*~*~

A fire going, the tree lit, Christmas music playing…it truly was beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. Alison walked over to the window. She rubbed her belly as she put her cheek against the cold glass. Then suddenly, something caught her eye. Was that? Could it be? It was! "Rafe! Rafe, come here!"

A few seconds later, Rafe rushed into the living room, fearing something was wrong. "Alison, what's wrong?"

"Nothing! Come here! Look!"

Rafe walked to the window and peered out. Snowflakes. Little by little, they fell from the sky, sticking on the window and melting as soon as they touched the surface.

"It's snowing!" Alison squealed. "Grab your coat!"

Rafe laughed. "What?"

"Oh come on, it's the first snowfall of the season!"

Rafe followed Alison's lead, grabbing his coat. Alison was almost already out the door.

Once outside, they stood in the front yard, letting the little flakes hit their face. They felt a chilly wind, which seemed to make more snowflakes fall.

"I can't wait until there's a lot of snow on the ground," Alison said. "Remember when we made snow angels?"

Rafe smiled. "How could I forget?"

Alison beamed. "Yep, this will definitely be the best Christmas ever." Alison moved closer to Rafe, wrapping her arms around him, giving him a kiss.

~*~*~*~

Rafe had just finished getting ready for bed. He paused at the doorway, smiling at the sight of her. Alison was lying on the bed, the room dark save for the lights of a few of her buttercream scented candles on the nightstand. Her shirt was raised, and Alison kept moving her fingers around in circles over her belly.

When she finally noticed Rafe was watching her, she smiled. "Rafe, come here."

Rafe walked over to where she was and sat beside her. Alison took his hand, placing it gently over her belly. "Feel that? The baby's kicking again." Alison smiled as Rafe's eyes just lit up.

Rafe seemed mesmerized by her belly, hoping to feel the baby kick again. "I can't believe there's this little person inside of you moving." Rafe kept his hand on her stomach, not wanting to miss anything.

"Rafe, I'm going to get bigger really soon."

Rafe looked up at her and smiled. "You'll get more beautiful as well."

"Stop."

"No, it's true. You're so beautiful Alison."

"You'll really think I'll be beautiful when I'm as big as a cow?"

"Well cows are very beautiful animals." Rafe chuckled, but Alison wasn't amused. "Alison, you know I think you'll be beautiful, no matter what changes your body goes through."

"What about when I waddle around like Lucy's duck? Will you still think I'm beautiful then?"

Rafe laughed, not even able to answer her question since he wasn't expecting her to compare herself to Sigmund.

"Are you laughing at me?"

"Alison, I'm not laughing at you. I just think it's silly that you think I would ever think you would ever look any less beautiful than you already are."

Alison smiled. How did he always do that? How did he always make her feel ten times better about herself when she was feeling a little down? "Okay, I get it."

"Good. You know, I'm actually looking forward to when you start to show more."

"Oh really?" Alison laughed. "You're looking forward to me being big and uncomfortable?"

"What I mean is...it's things like that, like feeling the baby kick, seeing the ultrasound pictures, or you showing, that make it seem more real to me. I can't wait to hold her."

Alison smiled as she ran her fingers through Rafe's hair. "Her?"

Rafe looked up, just realizing what he said. "Or him."

Alison's smile grew wider. "You want a girl."

"What I really want is for us to have a healthy baby, boy _or_ girl."

"I know. But I bet it'd make you really happy if it were a healthy baby girl."

"I'd be just as happy if it were a boy."

Alison laughed. "Oh come on, Rafe, admit it. You want this baby to be a girl."

Rafe smiled. "You think so?"

"I know so. This isn't the first time you've referred to the baby as a she. You want a daughter so then you'll have two girls to spoil."

Rafe grinned. "Well, it is what I do best."

"Oh, I know. In fact, I think I'd like to be spoiled right now."

"Oh really?"

"You know what I want, don't you?" Alison reached over and touched his shirt, undoing the first few buttons and then reaching inside, touching his bare chest.

"I think I have a pretty good idea."

"Well good, why don't you get to doing what you do best?"

"If you insist," Rafe said, lowering himself over her, his lips inches from hers.

"Oh, I insist."

 


	74. Chapter 74

originally posted 7-20-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

74

~*~*~*~

Rafe, having just finished a sandwich, walked out of the kitchen and headed for the couch. But on his way, he noticed a big box against the wall. Rafe walked over to it, peering inside. "Alison?"

"Yeah?" Alison said, walking out of the kitchen.

"I thought you said we had used all of the ornaments and decorations from your grandmother."

"Oh, those? Those are the outside lights!" Alison laughed.

"Oh! Well, I'm not doing anything now. How about I go ahead and put them up?"

"Um, Rafe? Have you ever decorated a house with Christmas lights before?"

"No, but how hard could it be?" Rafe walked over to the coat rack to grab his jacket.

"Hmm, that's what I thought." Alison picked up the phone and began to make a call.

"Who are you calling?"

"Jack. I'll just see if he'll come over to help you."

"Ramsey? Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait just a minute." Rafe grabbed the phone from Alison and put it down. "You don't think I can do this by myself?"

"It's really a two person job, Rafe. Trust me, things will go a lot faster too if you have some help."

"Alison, I don't need any help. Look, these icicle lights…no problem! I could have these up in no time. And the rest of the lights…all I have to do is just put them around the window."

"Oh, Rafe, stop being such a guy!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh I don't know. I don't understand a man's way of thinking. You won't pull over and ask for directions because of what, some fear that it'll hurt your pride, make you less of a man because you're not knowledgeable of the road?"

"What does that have to do with Christmas lights?"

"It's the same thing. Men won't accept help…they fear it'll make them less macho or whatever."

"Alison, this has nothing to do with being macho. I just think you shouldn't bother Jack when I could do this by myself."

"Okay then, wise guy, where's the ladder?"

"It's in the shed."

Alison grinned. "We have no ladder, Rafe!"

"Yes we do."

"Um, no, we don't."

"No, I distinctly remember that Lucy had one in the shed."

"And I distinctly remember that Kevin took that ladder to the lighthouse. But, I know someone who DOES have a ladder!" Alison picked up the phone, grinning ear to ear. "Hey, Jack! Just the person I wanted to talk to!"

~*~*~*~

"Hi, sweetie!" Livvie said, hugging Alison as she and Jack walked in.

"You feeling any better?" Alison asked, remembering Livvie had been sick recently.

"I'm much better." Livvie looked down, noticing for the first time that Alison was really starting to show. Last week at Thanksgiving, she hadn't been able to tell at all, but now, there was clearly a perfect little bump underneath her shirt. She put her hand on her belly to feel it. "Aww, Alison! You're so cute! You really are glowing!"

Alison smiled. "Thanks. We felt the baby kick for the first time the other day."

"Aww," Livvie said.

"Hey, Alison," Jack said, giving her a hug.

"Hey, thanks for coming over."

Rafe walked over to them, carrying the box of lights. Obviously, Alison had won. He was going to get help with the lights. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, he thought. If Alison were right about anything, the job would get done in half the time if there were a second person helping him out. Rafe nodded at Jack. "Jack."

"Rafe."

"Well, I'm sure you boys have a lot of work to do," Livvie said.

"Thanks so much for helping out, Jack!"

"No problem. Well, let's go put those lights up."

Rafe agreed, following Jack outside with the box of lights, some nails, and a hammer.

"Mmm, are those gingerbread cookies I smell?" Livvie asked, noticing the smell of something sweet wafting from the kitchen.

"Gingerbread men. Had a craving. It's probably done, let's go check."

Livvie followed Alison into the kitchen and took a seat at the table while Alison checked on the gingerbread.

"Done!" Alison sang, placing the cookie sheet with several little gingerbread cookies in front of Livvie.

"Oh, these look like they're to die for! Can I? I like them best when they're warm."

"Go ahead!" Alison took a bite out of one and had a seat beside Livvie. "So, how are the wedding plans coming along? What do you need help with? Just let me know and whatever it is, I'll do it for you."

"Alison, planning for a wedding is the last thing that should be on your mind right now. You should be planning for your baby. Besides, my wedding is months away. I've got more than enough time to plan for it."

"Which is why you should go ahead and start. Livvie, do you realize how lucky you are to have so much time to plan? Rafe and I were just so anxious to get married that we rushed it all, but you, you have the gift of time! You don't have to rush at all!"

"Well, now that you do mention it, I realize I haven't given a thought to the bridesmaids gowns. I guess I haven't been able to think of anything else but what I'll be wearing."

Alison smiled. "Say no more." Alison got up from her chair and walked out of the room. She returned a few seconds later with her laptop. "I have a great website for you to check out. I've found a ton of cute gowns."

"Hey what a great idea. Why didn't I think of looking online?"

Alison started up her computer and pulled up the website she was looking for. "Now, I have to admit. I've already been looking around for bridesmaids gown. Of course, you'll have the final say in it, but I found one that I think you should really consider!"

Livvie smiled. "Hey, whatever you love, I'm sure I'll love too."

"Okay, what do you think of this one? It's looks all summery because of the spaghetti straps and you can get it in so many colors. Light blue, pink, peach, lavender. I think you should go with the light blue, since you know, you're getting married by the river, and it's blue. But they're all really beautiful. They're all really good colors for summer, I think. So what do you think?"

Livvie laughed. "You don't have to sell me on the dress, Alison. I love it!"

Alison's eyes lit up. "You do?"

"Of course! It's beautiful! And besides, you'll be the one wearing it. I think you should wear one that you love. And you're right, light blue is perfect."

"I knew you'd agree." Alison grinned.

"Well great, now that we've got the bridesmaids gowns picked out, maybe we should look for a flower girl dress."

"I've sort of already found one of those for you too," Alison admitted with a laugh. "It's actually just like the bridesmaids gown, same color and everything, only smaller, and a little more darling." Alison pulled up the page she had bookmarked. "Isn't it adorable?"

"Aww, Alison, I love it! I haven't been able to find a wedding gown in months and you've already found the outfits for the wedding party."

Alison smiled. "So you really love them?"

"Yes, I love them! And since you're so good at this, why don't you find my wedding gown next?" Livvie laughed.

~*~*~*~

They spent about an hour looking on the computer, but they hadn't realized so much time had passed. Before long, the guys came in, announcing that the Christmas lights were up and were ready to be revealed.

The girls grabbed their coats and stepped outside to the lawn, anxious to see what the boys had been up to.

"Alright, here goes," Rafe said, flipping the switch to turn on the lights.

And suddenly, the house was aglow with white Christmas lights. It was beautiful!

Alison walked over to Rafe and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Rafe, I love it."

"You really do?"

"Yes. I do." Alison smiled, giving Rafe a kiss on his cheek, then looking back at the house to admire it.

Alison suddenly felt overwhelmed with emotion. There was something very special about this Christmas. It was as if all of a sudden, she realized that everything she ever wanted, a home, a family, she already had. All of her wishes had finally come true. She looked at Rafe again, smiling as he gazed at the lights on the house. This was going to be their first real Christmas together, and the first of many more to come. She couldn't wait.

~*~*~*~

Alison took a deep breath. Everything was riding on this moment and in a matter of minutes, she'd know if she succeeded or failed.

"Okay, you guys ready?

"Yes!" They said in unison.

"Alright." Alison stepped to the back of the bakery and carried it out. There it was…a round white cake exquisitely decorated with lacy frosting and adored with rosebuds made from icing.

Some "oohs" and "ahhs" were heard, which reassured Alison that they were pleased with the cake's appearance. But would they like the taste?

"Okay, now this is just a sample of the real thing."

"If that's just a sample, then I bet the real thing is really beautiful!" Serena remarked.

"Livvie, do you want to help me cut this up?"

"Sure."

For months, Alison had been perfecting her very own wedding cake recipe. It hadn't been easy, and Alison was nervous that it wouldn't turn out right. But Rafe and Livvie kept reassuring her, telling her that if anyone could make the perfect wedding cake, it would certainly be her. And now, the moment of truth was here.

"Okay, I want everyone to be completely honest. If it's not the best wedding cake you've ever had, then please tell me, so I'll know to get it right next time." Alison bit her lip in anticipation as everyone took a fork and then took a bite.

"Mmm! It's yummy in my tummy!" Christina said, making everyone laugh.

"It really is!" Serena added.

"Children don't lie about cake," Lucy said. "Alison, it really is wonderful."

"Really?" Alison's eyes lit up.

"Delicious," Kevin said, nodding his head in approval.

Alison looked over to Livvie, Jack, and Jamal, all smiling at her.

"Alison, it's the best cake I've ever had," Jack said, already finished with his.

Alison turned to Rafe. "What do you think?"

Rafe smiled at her. "I told you your wedding cake would be the best in town. I was right."

"Oh I'm so glad!" Alison beamed.

"See for yourself," Rafe said, feeding her a bite.

"Mmm…well that's so sweet I think I gotta sit down," Alison laughed. "That's even better than our wedding cake."

"Alison, I hope you're still planning on making ours, because this honestly is the best I've ever had," Livvie said, finishing up her slice.

"Oh you guys, you're going to make me cry!"

"I want some more!" Christina said, holding up her plate, licked clean of all of the icing on it.

"Me too!" Jack said, always one for seconds.

Alison laughed. "Well I don't know if there's enough for everyone to have seconds, but I can always make some more."

 


	75. Chapter 75

originally posted 7-23-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

75

~*~*~*~

"Hmm, I don't know which one to get. Which one do you think, Rafe?"

"Um, I don't know."

"Well you're a guy. Which would YOU wear?"

"A guy who you say has bad taste in clothing, so what do I know?" Rafe laughed. "You're the shopper in this marriage anyway."

"Well I never shopped for a reverend. I've rarely seen him wear anything other than church clothes!"

"Alison, he's a man of God. I think Reverend Lovejoy will be happy with whatever you choose."

"I just don't want to leave anyone out this Christmas, and he's been so nice to us. And I don't want to give him something that he doesn't like. Now tell me, which do you like best?"

"Okay…the red one."

Alison held up the two shirts she was deciding between. She thought about it for a moment. "I think I'll get the blue one."

"Unbelievable," Rafe said to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Alison gave him a look. She knew Rafe was tired of shopping, but he practically insisted on tagging along just so that she wouldn't be the one to drive on the icy roads. "Look, I'm almost done, okay? I just have to pay for all of this and then we'll go home."

"Great," Rafe sighed, his arms already getting tired from all of the shopping bags he was carrying for her.

"Oh look, there's Lucy. Lucy!"

Hearing her name, Lucy turned around and smiled. She rushed over to Rafe and Alison.

"Merry Christmas, Lucy!" Alison said cheerfully.

"And a merry Christmas to you too!" she said, giving Alison a hug.

"Hey, cousin."

"Hey, cuz, merry Christmas!" she replied, giving Rafe a hug as well. "So wow, what a nice surprise running into you two."

"We're just out getting some Christmas shopping done. You?"

"Oh, same!" she laughed, holding up several Wyndham's shopping bags. "Plus, I promised Christina I'd take her to see Santa."

"Where is Christina?" Rafe asked, noticing she wasn't with her mother.

"She's with Doc waiting in line to see the big guy. Oh! Speaking of me and Doc…I'm so glad I ran into you! I can just give this to you now and save a stamp!" Lucy set down her shopping bags and began to look through her purse. "I just got these today. I would have gotten them sooner but Don ordered the wrong invitations! So I had to reorder them and put a rush on it!"

"Invitations?" Rafe asked.

"Oh, here it is!" Lucy took out a large cream-colored envelope and handed it to Alison.

Alison took the envelope, giving Lucy a curious look as she opened it. She read it aloud. "You are cordially invited to our holiday and anniversary celebration, Christmas Eve at 8 o'clock at the Port Charles Hotel, Versailles Room. Wishing you a happy holiday season, Lucy and Kevin Collins."

"You're having a party?" Rafe smiled.

Lucy grinned. "We are! Doc and I have been planning it for some time now. You know, we just decided that what better way could we celebrate Christmas, and our one year anniversary, than to throw a huge party!"

"I think that's a wonderful idea, Lucy!" Alison said.

"So you'll both be there, right?"

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, cousin."

"We'll definitely be there!"

"Oh good! This is really good! Because I don't think it'd be the same without you! This is going to be the best party - ever! Even better than last year! Well, on second thought, I don't know if anything could top last year…well, it's going to be pretty darn good!"

Rafe and Alison smiled at each other, thinking of last year, while Lucy continued to ramble on.

"There was something really special about last year's party. Maybe partly because it was a surprise, and because I married my Doc, and because I got my little girl back. But it seemed like for the first time, everything was finally getting back to normal, you know? Especially after all of the trouble Caleb put us through. In fact, I'm going to zip it! I won't even mention his name. But that party, it seemed to just all come together miraculously. And everyone was so happy! Do you remember how happy everyone was? I wouldn't have thought it'd be possible considering how miserable everyone had been but it all came together. It was the best Christmas party/wedding I've ever had!"

"And I'm sure this one will be just as special," Alison said with a smile.

"Oh, you two!" Lucy smiled, suddenly speechless. "Oh my goodness, look at you, Alison! You're getting bigger!" Lucy placed her hands on Alison's stomach. "Oh! Speaking of babies, I should go track down my little girl and Doc. I don't want to miss it when she sees Santa!"

"Oh don't let us keep you."

"See you later, cousin," Rafe said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, Lucy."

Lucy gathered her bags in a hurry. "See you at the party! Ta!"

Alison turned to face Rafe with a big smile on her face. "Isn't that just amazing? Everyone's still talking about last year's party."

"Yeah, pretty amazing."

"And to think that you were the one responsible for it all. I knew I loved you." Alison wrapped her arms around his neck, moving closer to him.

"Now you know I can't take all the credit for that. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you. You helped me out a lot, you know, with the couples and all." Rafe kissed her softly.

"Well, I could use your help now."

"Anything you want."

"I need help looking for a dress!"

Rafe wondered if he heard her right. He had hoped she was going to say help with taking these shopping bags to the car, because he was ready to go. "What?"

"Well I have to find something to wear to the party!"

"Alison, you've got like, a hundred dresses at home."

"None that fit anymore," she whispered. "Remember? This won't take long. I promise."

Alison looked at him and smiled, batting her eyelashes, hoping to convince Rafe to stay for just a bit longer. Yeah, she knew he hated shopping, but she enjoyed having his company.

"Okay, go look for your dress."

"Great!" Alison said, giving him a quick kiss before heading to the maternity department.

~*~*~*~

"Alison, we're going to be late. Correction. We ARE late," Rafe said on the other side of the bedroom door. It had only taken him fifteen, maybe twenty minutes to get ready, but Alison had been getting ready for hours it seemed.

"Just a second," she called out.

Rafe was getting restless. Would she hurry up already? But then, the moment she opened the door, leaving the house was absolutely the last thing on his mind. "Wow," he gasped.

"You like?" Alison gave him a smile, turning around to show off her scarlet red strapless dress, which left just enough room for her growing belly.

"You look…wow."

"Okay, let's go!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait just a minute." Rafe stood in front of the doorway, blocking her path. "You know, we don't have to go just yet."

"Rafe, you just spent ten minutes pounding on the door telling me to hurry up."

"I was wrong. My watch was wrong. We still have a little time."

Alison grinned. "Liar. You saw me in this dress and now the party is the last thing on your mind."

"So we're a little late," Rafe shrugged, putting his arms around Alison as they backed into the bedroom and onto the bed.

"Wait, wait, wait," Alison said, pulling away, her lips already swollen from kissing.

"What?"

"We can't, Rafe. I'll mess up my hair and makeup."

"Say no more!" Rafe hopped up, not wanting to go through all of that again.

"I've got to reapply my lipstick now, you know."

Alison walked back to the mirror, making sure her lipstick was just right. She turned around, laughing. "You've got some too." Alison wiped the little smudge of red off his lips.

"Oh, thanks."

"Okay, I'm ready." Alison grabbed her purse from the dresser and walked out of the bedroom.

"Alison?"

"Yeah?"

"After?"

Alison flashed him a big smile. "Oh yeah. _Definitely_ after."

~*~*~*~

When Alison and Rafe arrived, the party was already in full swing. Music was playing, guests were dancing, and the decorations made the room look like a magical winter wonderland.

But Rafe's eyes weren't on the party or the decor. "Have I told you how incredible you look tonight?"

Alison smiled. "Only a few dozen times, but I don't mind hearing it again."

"Rafe! Alison! You're here!" Lucy rushed over to them, excitedly. "You're late!"

"Sorry, Lucy, it's my fault. Well actually, it's sort of his fault too." Alison smiled at Rafe, thinking of how it was just about impossible for them to get out the door.

"Well I'm glad you made it! Look at this place! Isn't it just great?!"

"It's looks incredible, Lucy!" Alison said with a smile.

"Well, you two have a wonderful time! I'm going to go mingle. Ta!"

Alison laughed, turning to Rafe. "I feel so happy right now!"

"Would you like to dance?"

"I was waiting for you to ask me. I'd love to."

Rafe took Alison's hand and led her to the dance floor. As they started to move, Rafe began to think of the very first time they danced together, just a year ago. He started to laugh.

"What?"

"I was thinking of how I really wanted to make you float again."

Alison smiled. "Sweetheart, you already are." With that, she kissed Rafe, leaving him breathless.

xoxo

Alison and Rafe mingled for a while. Alison caught up with her grandmother, who was still insisting that she allow her to hire a qualified nanny for the baby. Rafe was being himself, popular with the ladies…the little ladies that is. He took turns dancing with his cousins, and he didn't even mind that Christina stepped on his feet.  

Later on, they met up again. "Having a good time?" Rafe asked, giving his wife a glass of some sparkling apple cider.

"I'm having a great time. Let's go find some mistletoe," Alison whispered.

"Why do you want to find mistle…oh…ohhhh," Rafe said, grinning as he followed Alison away from the crowd.

~*~*~*~

"I had so much fun!" Alison said as she and Rafe walked through the door after the party. "I hope Lucy and Kevin make it an annual thing."

"You know what the best part of this evening was?"

"What?"

Rafe walked over to Alison, pulling her closer to him. "I didn't have to say goodbye to you at midnight."

"That was my favorite part too," she whispered, then moving closer for a kiss. She then pulled away, smiling brightly at him. "I just realized."

"What?"

"It's after midnight…which means it's Christmas."

Rafe grinned. He knew where this conversation was going. "Which means you're ready to open your presents."

Alison laughed. "Well can you blame me? Come on, what do you say? There isn't a rule that says we can't open at least one now, is there? And besides, I really want to give you yours now."

"Okay, let's do it. I can't wait to give you your present too." Rafe gave her a quick kiss and then walked over to the Christmas tree. Alison followed, looking under the tree to find the special present she couldn't wait to give to Rafe.

Once she found it, Alison sat on the couch, waiting for Rafe as he started up a fire.

"Okay," he said, walking over to her and giving her another kiss. "You first." Rafe handed her a beautifully wrapped box.

"Hmm, must be jewelry."

"What makes you think so?"

Alison smiled. "Because it's a long box. Like maybe it's a necklace or a bracelet."

"Well I guess you'll have to open it and find out."

Alison gave him a grin, then tore into the wrapping paper like a child. "I was right. It is in a jewelry box." Alison slowly opened it.

Rafe watched the expression on her face when she saw it. He loved the way her eyes sparkled. He was glad…he had made the perfect choice.

"Oh my god. Rafe…it's…it's beautiful. Oh my god, how did you know?"

"How did I know that's what you wanted? Well, it was sort of obvious. Go on, open it."

Alison opened the heart shaped gold locket, which looked almost identical to his mother's. Inside, two pictures. One of Alison, the other of Rafe. "Oh, Rafe, I love it."

"I knew you would. It took me forever to track down a locket like this. I had to special order it from Romania."

"Oh my god, really?"

"Well, I wanted it to be one just like the one my father gave my mother. I knew you loved that one."

"Would you put it on me?" she asked, handing him the locket and holding up her hair.

Rafe carefully undid the clasp and put the locket around Alison's neck. "There you go."

Alison turned around to face Rafe, holding the heart in the palm of her hand. "Rafe, I really do love this."

"You have my heart."

Alison smiled. "I had it from the day I met you."

Rafe noticed a tear falling from her eyes. She was a very emotional person, but more so lately. He touched her chin and moved her face to his, kissing that tear away.

"I'm going to cry anyway, Rafe. I have to give you yours now."

Alison wiped her eyes with her finger as she reached behind her back for Rafe's present.

Rafe took the flat rectangular box and gave it a gentle shake. "I bet it's a book."

"Not even close," Alison grinned. He'd never guess this one.

Rafe tore the wrapping paper off and looked curiously at the box. It looked like a DVD case. Opening it up, he saw a disc inside. "A movie?" he asked.

"It's not just any movie, Rafe. Do you remember when we were going through your mother's things? Well I remembered there was this box full of home movies, like on some old filmstrip or something. So I took them to this video place and they were able to transfer them to DVD. I don't know what's on them, but I figured it had to be something really important to you."

Rafe looked at Alison, grinning ear to ear. "Alison, do you know how amazing this is?"

"Yeah, it's so amazing what they can do with technology these days."

Rafe laughed. "No, that's not what I meant. I mean, that is amazing but…well what I was going to say is…I've never seen these before. Not ever. The projector we had to play these on broke, and I don't think they even make them anymore. Alison, do you know how long I've been wanting to watch these movies?"

"Well now you can!" Alison smiled. "I haven't seen them yet. I thought it would be better if we watched it for the first time together. The guy at the video place said the quality was really good. But there wasn't any sound on it though so he added in some music. He said I'd be really pleased with it."

"Well let's put it in," Rafe said, taking the DVD out of its case and popping it into the player. He grabbed the remote and then joined Alison on the couch.

The screen was black as the music started, and then, an image slowly came into focus. It was a party. A gathering of friends and family wearing their best suits and gowns stood in a beautifully decorated room. There were flowers and wine glasses and everyone was smiling and laughing.

A double door opened, and in walked a newlywed couple, still dressed in their wedding attire. It was Rafe's parents. Everyone began clapping their hands and walking over to the bride and groom, giving them hugs and kissing them on the cheeks.

In the next clip, they were shown dancing their first dance as husband and wife. Alison couldn't help but think how happy they looked together, and how beautiful Katrina was. She'd only seen her in pictures, but to see her moving and smiling was another story. And his father...the resemblance to Rafe was uncanny! Alison looked over to watch Rafe. He seemed mesmerized by the video.

There was a short clip of the bride and groom cutting the cake, and then feeding the cake to each other. There was a bit of playfulness with the icing, but the newlyweds just laughed. Everyone soon started tapping their glasses with their silverware, and the newlyweds responded by kissing.

The video scanned the crowd then, zooming in on a few guests as they had a good time. Whoever had been filming the wedding then stumbled across a private moment between the newlyweds, as they found a secluded hallway. They stood against the wall in a liplock.

Gabriel soon noticed the camera was watching them. He looked annoyed, then put his hand over the lens to block the view.

In the last scene of the wedding, the bride and groom stood at the steps of an old looking church. Their guests lined up along the sidewalk and scattered rice over them as Katrina and Gabriel ran to a horse drawn carriage. Gabriel helped his bride get on, then climbed aboard himself. They waved at everybody with the biggest smiles on their faces. The last thing shown was a sign on the back of the carriage that said "Just Married!" on it.

The video wasn't over just yet though. There had been several home movies, and the next one soon followed.

Katrina was filmed, unnoticed. She sat on a bench in their garden, smelling some roses and then cutting one off from a bush.

She suddenly turned, smiling. Her lips moved but no sound came out. "What are you doing?" She began to shake her head, then covered the lens with her hands, not wanting to be filmed at the moment.

But eventually, the filmmaker convinced her, and she began posing for the camera. She smiled, then put the rose she had cut in her hair. She blew a kiss to the camera. "I love you," she mouthed.

It was then that the camera became very shaky, and the image was soon sideways as the camera was then put on the ground.

Alison and Rafe had to turn their heads sideways to see the image. Katrina was soon sprawled out on the grass. Gabriel soon followed, leaning down to kiss her. This continued for a few moments, until Gabriel realized the camera was still on, and possibly filming them. He reached over to it, and the image turned off.

The next video was a very special one to Alison, and it brought tears to her eyes. The camera filmed a crib, and inside the crib, a baby. Rafe. He was sleeping, but soon began to wave his arms and legs about. Katrina leaned over the crib and scooped him up. She held him so close to her, then smiled at the camera.

She pointed to the camera, then picked Rafe's little arm up and waved it. Katrina kissed the baby, and then it appeared that someone else took over the camera as Gabriel was soon in the image. Katrina handed Rafe over, then put her arms around her husband and started making kissy and smiley faces to the baby.

There were several more scenes with infant Rafe and his parents, and the rest of his family as well. It seemed that everyone wanted to hold him.

The last movie was short, but sweet. Rafe was still a baby, but he was walking now. He was still new at it though, as he legs were quite wobbly. He fell a few times, but then pulled himself right back up. Katrina kneeled down on the floor, coaxing her son to walk to her. Rafe smiled, walking, almost trying to run to his mother. When he got there, she picked him up, giving his a kiss on his cheek.

The music on the movie ended, and the image of Rafe and his mother faded to black.

Alison switched the television off. "That was beautiful." Alison looked over to Rafe, and at first, she wasn't sure how he was feeling right now. "Rafe?"

Rafe looked at Alison. He looked like he was on the verge of tears. "It's been so long since I've seen them."

"Rafe, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset."

"No, you didn't." Rafe smiled. "Alison, you've made me so happy. Thank you." He moved closer to her and held her close to him. "It's the best Christmas gift anyone could have given me."

Alison felt herself starting to tear up now. She looked into Rafe's eyes. "When I saw those home movies, I knew they had to be treasured memories, otherwise Katrina wouldn't have kept them."

"I've waited so long to see those home movies. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I think we should get one of those cameras and start making our own movies. I'm sure our children would really treasure that one day, don't you think?"

"I think that's a great idea."

"Hey, I know it's late, but I'm sort of in the mood for some hot chocolate. Do you want some?"

"Sure."

"Okay, I'm just going to go change and then I'll go get it started." Alison stood up, touching Rafe's cheek as she walked away.

Once alone, Rafe picked up the remote and turned the television back on. He watched the last part of the movie again, smiling as he walked over to his mother. It was incredible to think that at one time, he was that small. His mother looked so happy too, happier than he had ever remembered her to be. He decided that that must be what it feels like to be a parent. Rafe now more than ever couldn't wait.

He turned the television off and looked around. Rafe stood up and walked over to the mantle, picking up a picture of he and Alison on their wedding day. Rafe touched the glass of the picture over Alison's face. "I love you, Alison."

Rafe then smiled, suddenly having an idea. He put the picture down and walked over to the CD player. Looking through their collection of music, he found the perfect mood music and put it on. Then, he took the cushions from the couch and spread them out on the floor with a few blankets in front of the fire.

Now that he was getting comfortable, he suddenly felt a little overdressed. He undid the buttons of the shirt and removed it, feeling a lot better.

A few minutes later, Alison stepped out of the kitchen holding two mugs of hot chocolate. But the hot chocolate was the furthest thing on Rafe's mind at the moment. He suddenly found it hard to breathe, and harder to concentrate on much of anything else except the way Alison looked.

She took down her hair, letting it cascade over her shoulders. She wore, in Rafe's opinion, an incredibly sexy red negligee. He loved it when she wore silky things like that. Her stomach slightly protruded, showing off the perfect round bump that was their baby growing inside of her.

"Rafe? Rafe?"

"Huh?"

Alison laughed. "Where were you? It was like you were a million miles away."

"I'm sorry, Alison."

"It's okay." Alison looked around, admiring the way Rafe had set the mood with the pillows and blankets in front of the fire. "Wow, this looks nice."

"No, I mean I'm sorry that I made you go through all the trouble of making the hot chocolate."

"Oh. You don't want it?"

"Well, it's just that I suddenly want something else much more."

"What?"

Rafe grinned at her, taking the mugs out of her hands and setting them aside. He moved closer to her, placing a few kisses on her neck as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Oh," Alison said, finally getting it. "Well…I guess…the hot chocolate…can wait."

“We’ve got something better to keep us warm anyway,” Rafe whispered, pushing down the straps of her negligee and kissing her bare shoulders.

Alison closed her eyes, running her fingernails along his back. She then found herself lying on her back, gazing up at Rafe. He gave her a smile as he gently pushed the negligee up, revealing her small rounded tummy…and to his surprise, nothing else.

Alison gave him a seductive grin. “Guess I’ve been naughty."

Rafe laughed, moving his hands toward the zipper on his pants.

“Hurry up, Rafe” Alison teased. “Haven’t you been wanting to do this all night?”

“You have no idea,” he said, tossing his clothes aside and kissing Alison with pleasure.

~*~*~*~

Usually after making love, Alison would be the first to drift off to sleep. But this time, it was Rafe. Alison rested her head on Rafe's chest, hearing the constant sound of his heart beating and his steady breathing. Alison propped herself up on her elbow and adjusted the blanket that had since become a tangled mess. She looked at Rafe and smiled. He slept so peacefully. It wasn't often that she was the one to watch Rafe sleep, as she was the one who liked to sleep the most.

Alison ran her finger along the side of his face, then moved a stray hair away from his eyes. "Merry Christmas, Rafe," she whispered, then giving him a kiss on his cheek. Alison rested her head back on his chest, and was soon lulled to sleep by the sound of his breathing and the crackling of the warm fire in front of them.

 


	76. Chapter 76

originally posted 8-15-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

76

~*~*~*~

The first thing Alison saw when she opened her eyes was a vase full of a dozen pink roses. In her morning confusion, she wondered what the special occasion was. And then she saw the stuffed bear holding a red heart.

Oh of course, now she remembered.

It was Valentine's Day.

A smile formed on her lips as she slowly sat up and got to her feet. Moving around had started to become a lot more difficult now, as Alison was now in her seventh month of pregnancy. Her back ached a lot. She felt clumsy all the time. Her hands and feet were swollen. Her legs would cramp at night and it was getting harder to become comfortable. But the plus side was that she did get to feel the baby move around more often.

"Daddy brought us some roses," she said with a hand on her belly and the other on her back as she made her way over to the dresser. She took the biggest rose out and brought it to her nose. It smelled so sweet. Alison picked up the card by the vase. She opened the tiny envelope and read it.

_Happy Valentine's Day, Angel._

_Love, Rafe_

"Well we'll just have to thank Daddy for these, won't we?" As if the baby were responding, it gave her a little kick. "After I go to the bathroom," she said as she hurried down the hallway.

~*~*~*~

Alison had thought she smelled food. She watched Rafe as he set the table with her very favorite…waffles. He hadn't made her breakfast in a long time. Not since she threw up the last time. But he was trying so hard. He may have not been the best cook, but it warmed her heart that he worked so hard to learn.

"I got your roses. Happy Valentine's Day."

Rafe looked up, seeing Alison walk towards him with a rose in her hand. He couldn't help but smile. She looked so beautiful. Alison always complained that she looked like a mess in the morning, especially now, but to him, she was always beautiful. "Good morning." Rafe wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly. "Hungry?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Good. I made us breakfast. Come on." Rafe pulled out a chair and Alison sat down.

"This is so sweet of you. The waffles look delicious."

"You might want to try them first before you say that."

Alison took a bite. She tried not to laugh as Rafe watched her nervously. She gave him a smile, letting him know that she approved. Rafe breathed a sigh of relief.

~*~*~*~

"That was wonderful," Alison said, pushing her plate away when she was full. "Are you going to clean up too?" Alison grinned. If he was going to cook her breakfast, she might as well take advantage of the opportunity to get some chores done.

"Sure. I'll clean up. After I give you your surprise, that is."

"Surprise? Flowers, breakfast….you mean there's more?"

"For you? Always." Rafe smiled as he got up from the chair and walked over to the refrigerator, reaching for a box on top of it.

Clever, Alison thought. She hadn't even noticed it up there until now.

Rafe brought the box over and handed it over. "Go ahead. Open it."

"I can't wait to see what it is." Alison lifted the lid off the box, seeing some kind of white fabric buried in tissue paper. As she took it out, she realized what it was. It was an apron with her bakery logo printed right on it. "Oh my god. Rafe. Oh, Rafe, it's so cute! I love it! Oh, it's got the name on it and everything! _Alison's Heavenly Delights_." Alison held out her arms, and Rafe got up from his chair so that she could give him a hug and kiss. "Thank you."

"I had three of them made for you actually, but only one would fit in the box."

"Rafe Kovich, had did you get to be so sweet?"

"I just love to make you smile."

"This really is cute! I can wear it to work today! Oh, that'll be so cute when everyone has matching aprons on!"

"Yeah, especially considering what today is."

Alison looked at Rafe, not quite understanding what he meant.

"Alison, did you forget what today is?"

The question confused Alison. "It's Valentine's Day."

Rafe laughed softly. "Well that's true. But it was also a year ago that you opened up your bakery. You've been in business for one full year."

"Oh my god. I completely forgot. Aww, but you remembered. I can't believe I forgot my own bakery's birthday. I could have had a little celebration."

"Well you have other things on your mind right now. I think everyone will understand." Rafe placed his hand on her belly, hoping to feel the baby kick but it appeared the baby was quiet for now.

"I guess. But it would have been nice to have a little anniversary sale to thank the customers, you know? If it hadn't have been for them I wouldn't still be in business. I guess it's too late now."

"Nonsense. It's never too late. You could still have a celebration. I mean, if I'm not mistaken, it'll be your 'bakery's birthday' all day long." Rafe grinned.

Alison smiled. "Yeah, I could. I still wish I had remembered though. My mind's been so spacey lately. I should probably go get dressed and get ready. Thank you for all of this, again. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Clean those dishes," she said with a laugh as she walked out of the room.

Rafe smiled, suddenly having an idea.

~*~*~*~

"Do you have anything special planned with Jack tonight, Livvie?" Alison asked as she put a tray of heart shaped cookies with red sprinkles in the display case.

"Oh yeah," she said with a smile. "We're going out to dinner tonight at the Grille. But I have sneaking suspicion that Jack has plans for us to go away somewhere this weekend."

"Ooo, that sounds romantic."

"What about you and Rafe?"

"I was planning on making him dinner tonight."

"Well they do say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

"I'm going to make all his favorites. And I'm going to wear that new dress I bought last week."

"Oh, you mean the red one?"

"Mmm-hmm. I think it's fitting for Valentine's Day, don't you think?"

"He'll love it."

"I hope so. He's already made my Valentine's Day special. I mean this morning with the flowers and making me breakfast, and then these cute little aprons."

"Looks like he's got another surprise planned for you."

"What?"

Livvie pointed to the doorway as Rafe walked in, holding a handful of pink, white, and red helium balloons.

"Oh my god," Alison gasped when she saw him.

"This is for your celebration. Congratulations on one year!"

"Oh I love you!" Alison made her way over to Rafe as fast as she could and threw her arms around him. She gave him a loud smacking kiss on his cheek and turned to Livvie with a huge smile on her face. "Isn't he so sweet?"

"Where did you get all those balloons?" Livvie laughed.

"The party store down the street. So where do you want them?"

Alison looked around. "Hmm, how about at the ends of the counter? We could tie them to those poles. I can't believe you went out and got me balloons."

"Well what's a celebration without them, right?"

"Thank you," Alison said, giving him a kiss.

"Has it been really busy here today?"

"Yeah, it was this morning. It's quiet now but things will pick up in about an hour or so. Do you want a cookie? They're free for you."

Rafe laughed. "Yeah."

"Okay…Livvie, will you get it for you. I have to run to the bathroom!" With that, Alison turned around and walked quickly to the facilities.

Once Alison was out of earshot, Livvie turned to Rafe. "Rafe, I'm really glad you stopped by. I need a favor from you."

"Sure."

"Lucy and I are throwing Alison a surprise baby shower on Sunday. And we're going to need your help to pull it off."

"Alright. What do you need to me to do?"

"Do you think you could get Alison over to the lighthouse without her becoming suspicious?"

"Oh yeah, that's no problem. What time do I need to have her there?"

"Four o'clock? Is that good?"

Rafe smiled. "Yeah, I could that. She's been wondering when you were going to throw her a shower. All I've heard for the last three weeks is, 'I wonder when Livvie's going to throw me a baby shower. Don't you think it's time Livvie threw me a baby shower?'"

"Well don't tell her! Just get her over there. You could tell her that Lucy invited you over for dinner or whatever. But have her there by four. On Sunday."

"How long is this thing supposed to last?

"I don't know. A couple of hours probably."

"Is this something I'm supposed to stay for?"

"You can if you want. But if you do, just be prepared for a lot of oohing and ahhing over tiny clothes with little snap buttons at the bottom."

"How about I pick Alison up afterwards?" he laughed.

"Oh shh! Here she comes."

"Ahh, I feel so much better!"

Livvie couldn't help but laugh. "That's like the fifteenth time she's been this morning."

"I can't wait until it's your turn. When you're pregnant and you have a baby sitting on your bladder all the time, I'll remember you said that."

~*~*~*~

"Alison, can I come out yet?" Rafe called out from the living room. Alison had made him stay there until she was finished with her "surprise" for him. He knew it was food though, because he could smell it.

"Just a minute!" she called back.

Alison wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Music was playing. The table was covered in a brand new tablecloth. The food was prepared and set out on the table. All she needed to do now was to light the candles. Alison grabbed a lighter from the kitchen drawer and headed back into the dining room, lighting the candles on the table. She then dimmed the lights. Now…everything was perfect.

Alison walked into the living room, watching as Rafe occupied himself with a magazine from the coffee table. "It's ready."

Rafe put the magazine aside and turned around. She was wearing a dress he'd never seen before, and it looked like she spent a lot of time putting her hair up. "Wow. You look lovely."

Alison walked over to Rafe, taking his hand. "Thank you. I hope you're hungry."

"I am."

Alison smiled, and then began to laugh to herself.

"What is it?"

"I think the baby's hungry too. Feel right there." Alison took his hand, placing it over her belly.

"Well looks like we better go feed her. If she's anything like me, she loves spaghetti."

"Hey! How did you know that was what I was cooking? Did you peek?"

"No, I just have a good nose. And I saw tomato sauce in your grocery bags."

"Well come on, let's go eat."

~*~*~*~

Rafe sat across from Alison at the table, watching how the light of the candles illuminated her face.

"What?" Alison asked, catching his gaze.

"I was just looking at you. You're so beautiful."

Alison blushed.

"I have another surprise for you," Rafe announced.

"Another surprise? Rafe…"

In his pocket, Rafe dug out a small black box and handed it over to her. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"What is this? Oh…my…god," Alison gasped once she opened the box, seeing two sparkling diamond earrings inside. "Rafe…"

"I know what you're going to say. You're going to say I shouldn't have, but I saw the way your eyes lit up when you saw them at Wyndham's."

"But that was like a month ago."

"I know. I've been waiting to give those to you for a long time."

"Rafe, you're starting to make me feel really bad."

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused.

"Look at all of this. It's Valentine's Day and you been surprising me all day with little things and now this, and all I do is cook you dinner."

"Alison, it was an incredible dinner. But having you here with me is the best gift of all."

Alison blushed again. Sometimes, she wondered how she got so lucky to have him. She took the earrings out of the box and carefully put them on. "So, how do they look?"

"They look half as beautiful as you." Rafe suddenly stood up, walking around to Alison's side of the table. He held out his hand. "You're just so beautiful. I have to dance with you."

"You'll have to help me up," she said with a smile.

Rafe took her hands, gently pulling her up. It was getting a little harder to hold her closer these days, her growing belly in between them, but he managed as best as he could as he put her arms around her and moved her to the music.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Rafe," Alison whispered, lifting her head up as she kissed her husband.

 


	77. Chapter 77

originally posted 8-21-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

77

~*~*~*~

The moment they pulled into the driveway, Alison had the sneaking suspicion that something was up. There seemed to be an extra car or two in the driveway. Alison thought this was going to be just a small gathering among friends and family but maybe Lucy had invited more?

"Livvie and Jack are here," Alison said, noticing Livvie's car.

"I'm sure Lucy invited them over too," Rafe said, keeping up with the lie that this was a simple invite for dinner.

"Well I'm hungry. Let's go." Alison opened her car door, and Rafe, as usual, raced over to her side to help her out.

"You got everything?"

Alison looked in the car, making sure she didn't forget anything. "Yeah."

Rafe closed the door, then took her hand and led her to the front step.

Inside, Lucy was watching from the window. "Okay, everyone, shh! They're here!"

The guests scrambled around to find their hiding places. Lucy made sure everyone was in place before she opened the door.

"Hey, cousin," Rafe said with a smile.

"Hi, Lucy!"

"Oh good, you're here! Come on in!"

Alison looked around, wondering where everyone else could be. She was sure there were more people here. That's when noticed the balloons. Pink and blue balloons - everywhere! And on the wall, a huge "Congratulations" banner, decorated with rattles, pacifiers, and baby bottle pictures.

"Oh my god," she gasped, realizing now what this was.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone said, coming out from their hiding places.

"Oh my god! Aww, you guys!" Alison turned to Rafe, who was grinning from ear to ear. "You were in on this, weren't you?"

"A little bit."

Alison looked around, seeing several of her closest friends and family smiling at her.

"Hello, dear," Amanda said, walking over to Alison and giving her a hug.

"Nana, I'm so glad you're here."

"Are you surprised?" Livvie asked, grinning widely.

"Yes! Very much so!"

"Well, Angel, I'm going to let you have your fun. I'll be back later to pick you up, okay?"

"Okay!" Alison said, all smiles. "Love you."

"Love you too." Rafe gave her a kiss, then left to let the women have their fun.

"Do I get to open presents now?" Alison said with a smile.

Livvie laughed. "Later. But would some food interest you?"

"Do you have chocolate cake?"

"Of course!"

"Lead the way!"

~*~*~*~

After having some cake, Lucy announced that the fun was really about to begin. Lucy carried a tray of punch around, asking everyone to take a cup.

"Oh isn't that cute!" Alison laughed, noticing a tiny plastic baby frozen in one of her ice cubes.

"It's a part of the game!" Lucy explained. "Does everyone have punch? Okay, good! Now everyone listen up because these are the rules. Everyone has a special ice cube in their punch. It has a little baby frozen in it. The first person to notice that their ice has melted and the baby is free, or, born rather, needs to yell out, 'My water broke!'. And then, that person wins a little prize! But you all have to play fair. Any attempts to make the melting process go quicker will make you lose the game, so no cheating!"

"That's real cute, Lucy. If only it could be that easy in real life," Eve said.

"I got the idea online!"

"And I got this idea from a magazine," Livvie announced, walking around with some scissors and handing everyone a ball of yarn. "Okay, in this game, I want everyone to cut a piece of string. Now don't make it too short, because it's got to be big enough to fit around Alison's stomach."

"Oh gee, thanks, Livvie!"

Livvie laughed. "The person whose string comes closest to fitting wins."

Everyone began cutting their pieces of string. Alison began to notice some very long pieces. "Am I really that big?"

"Okay, Alison, stand up!" Livvie laughed. She was thoroughly enjoying this. “We’ll try Eve’s string first.”

"Okay, I can tell you right now that that string is way too long. I know I'm not that big!"

"Well we'll see about that." Livvie began wrapping the string around the biggest part of Alison's belly. "I don't know, Alison. It looks like you _are_ that big. This is a pretty good fit. There's just a tiny bit left over. Good estimate, Eve."

"Well I am the one with the most recent experience with that," she laughed.

"Okay, so far, Eve's string fits the best, but she's only the first one so let's see how everyone else did."

Livvie measured all of the strings around Alison's stomach. The shortest one being Karen's, whose string was just inches shy of wrapping around, and the longest Christina's, which was well over six feet.

"Eve's our winner!" Livvie announced. "Congratulations, Eve!"

Everyone clapped for Eve, and Lucy handed her a prize. "It's bubble bath, for relaxation!"

"Ooo! And I really need that! I need to relax!" Eve took the bubble bath happily.

~*~*~*~

After playing several more baby shower games, which Alison had to admit she enjoyed even though some were pretty silly, it was time for the best part: presents.

Livvie stood in front of the group. "Okay, it's time for the best part, and Alison's favorite part, because I know how much she loves getting free stuff."

Everyone laughed.

"Now if you've noticed, the room is filled with pink AND blue balloons because the guest of honor wants it to be a surprise. Which surprises me to say the least because I've known this girl for a long time and she usually wants to know EVERYTHING!"

Alison laughed. "Well what's wrong with wanting to be surprised?"

"Nothing, but the suspense is killing me!" Livvie said.

"Well just for fun, what do you want? Boy or girl?" Karen asked with a smile.

"Honestly, I really want both so whatever this one is I'll be happy. But Rafe on the other hand, he really wants a girl. In fact, he insists that's what it is. He already refers to it as a she. If it turns out to be a boy, I'm going to have a lot of fun teasing him about it."

"Well, on that note, since we don't know for sure if the baby will be a boy or girl, everyone had to buy more gender neutral things for the baby. So I had an idea. As you all know, Jack and I are getting married this summer. Last Christmas, I remember saying to Alison that I wasn't too concerned with getting a head start on everything for the wedding, because I knew the wedding was still months away and I had so much time to plan for it anyway. But Alison reminded me that having a lot of time is an important thing, and now I'm really glad Alison helped me go ahead and start making plans because I'm starting to realize that time is really flying! I certainly don't have as much time anymore as I thought I did. And very soon, when Alison has her baby, I know that with the changings and 2am feedings and all of that fun stuff that comes along with having a baby, Alison's not going to have a lot of time for anything except the baby. So, in honor of all of that, everyone here has brought Alison a baby gift for a certain time of the baby's day. Who wants to start?"

"Oh I will, Eve offered.

"Oh wait, Livvie! You forgot!" Lucy said, reminding Livvie of something they had discussed earlier.

"Oh! Wait just a minute everyone! I totally forgot. Thank you, Lucy. We're going to play one more game as Alison opens her presents. And the game is called, 'Don't say 'baby''!"

Lucy walked around the room, handing everyone a clothespin. Everyone exchanged glances with each other. How could they NOT say ‘baby’ at a baby shower?!

"Lucy's passing around clothespins to everyone, and here's how the game is going to go. From the moment Alison opens the first present until the moment she opens the last, anyone who says the word 'baby' loses their clothespin. And the person who gets the clothespin is the one who notices that the forbidden word was spoken! And if by chance the person who says ‘baby’ has more than one clothespin from catching someone else say the word, that person gets all of the clothespins that person has. So in the end, whoever has the most clothespins wins. And if there's a tie, they all get a prize. Oh, and one more thing! You can't spell it either! Spelling is the same as saying it."

Alison laughed. "Livvie, that's going to be really hard!"

"I know. That's what makes it so fun! Any questions?"

"I have one," Mary spoke up. "What happens if someone says…the word…but that's their second time in saying it and they don't have any more clothespins to give to the person who caught them say it?"

"Oh we took care of that problem," Lucy said, holding up the bag of clothespins. "We have extras."

"Okay, so once Alison starts to open Eve's present, the game will start. And it won't be easy, I can assure you that! Everyone ready?"

"Yes."

"Great! Eve, go ahead!"

"Alright." Eve picked up her present and handed it over to Alison.

"I can't wait to see what it is." Alison peered into the gift bag, pushing back the tissue paper and saw several goodies inside. "Ooo! Stuff I can use!"

"What it is?" Serena asked.

Alison began to pull out several sippy cups, pacifiers, and tiny little spoons. "Oh these are nice!"

"These are all things you can never have enough of. For feeding time, I was going to give you bottles, but I thought you might not use them much if you were planning on breastfeeding, so instead, I got you several sippy cups. So that way when the baby gets older-"

"Oh! She said it!" Karen shouted out.

"Damn," Eve muttered under her breath.

"You owe me a clothespin, Eve! Wow, didn't take you long!" Karen said, laughing.

"Fine. Take it. Livvie's right. It's hard not to say it. Okay, like I was saying, when the _infant_ gets older and can hold a cup, you'll use them a lot. I also gave you some pacifiers for those times when you're trying to calm him or her down. And you'll lose those things in a heartbeat too, and always at the moment when the…child…is most fussy, trust me. They're just like socks and elastic ponytail bands. You can never have enough of them. Oh, and the spoons are for feeding time too. They have really tiny spoons for tiny mouths."

"Thank you so much, Eve! I'm going to use all of this!"

"Alright, whose next?" Livvie asked.

"I'll go," Mary offered. Mary handed Alison a beautifully wrapped box.

"I wonder what this is, Mary," Alison said with a smile. As she lifted the lid, she smiled. "Aww, these are so cute! Little towels with cute little designs on them! Oh, and onesies! Thank you, Mary!"

"Those will go perfect with Eve's gift. After feeding time, it's clean up time. And then diaper time. The onesies really come in handy when you have to change a diaper fast, or when the little one spits up or makes a mess with food. You'll be amazed at how much laundry you'll do in a week!"

"That's the truth!" Eve laughed.

"Okay, I have to go next!" Livvie said excitedly, hopping up from her chair and picking up a huge box from behind the couch.

"Livvie! Is that what I think it is?!"

"You'll have to open it and find out!"

Alison tore into the paper, and upon seeing the box, she squealed. "The Diaper Genie!"

Everyone laughed.

"Oh I've been wanting this!"

"I know! And that's another gift for your diaper changing time! Takes care of the most important question that new parents have. 'What do I do with all of these poopy diapers?""

Everyone laughed again, especially Christina.

"Thank you, Livvie! Oh this is great!"

"Okay, me next!" Karen said, handing Alison a large gift bag. "It's something for bedtime, or playtime."

Alison smiled, taking a peek into the bag. "Aww! How cute!"

"What is it?" Livvie asked.

"Baby books!"

"Darling, you just said the magic word!" Amanda laughed.

"Oh! I forgot!" Alison reluctantly handed her clothespin over to her grandmother.

"So what books are they?" Livvie asked.

Alison held them up so that everyone could see. They were soft books, many with colorful animals on them, which had little Velcro pieces, snaps, pockets, and other interesting things for babies to discover.

"I went to the bookstore and they had a whole section of books for infants. I thought those would be good for bedtime or something fun the -you know what- can play with. It's never too early to start reading."

"These are so cute, Karen. Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

"Everyone!" Amanda suddenly announced, getting everyone's attention. "I never thought I'd say this at my age, but…my water just broke!"

The group rolled with laughter, and Amanda held up the little plastic baby.

"Well, Amanda, looks like you win the prize!" Lucy said, handing Amanda a little bag. "It's a CD with relaxing music on it. My masseuse has the same one…you'll love it!"

"Well thank you! I shall enjoy it!"

"Nana, why don't you go next?" Alison smiled.

"All right." Amanda reached down to pick up a rather large box, but it wasn't too heavy.

Alison gave it a little shake. "Sounds like clothing."

"Maybe."

Alison opened the box, and first, she saw a soft white baby blanket. "Aww, Nana, this is adorable."

"It's for bedtime, or naptime. Check the box, there's something else in there."

Alison looked underneath the blanket and moved some tissue paper out of the way. She gasped, seeing something white made from a silky material.

"It's your baptism gown," Amanda explained.

"Oh, Nana, it's so beautiful!"

"I've had it for so many years and I hadn't thought of it until recently. I thought you would like to have it for your child."

"Oh thank you, Nana! I love it! Oh, I can't believe I was once small enough to fit into this thing!"

"You were a beautiful baby. And you looked so precious in that gown."

Alison smiled. "Thank you, Nana. This really means a lot of me. Oh, and clothespins, please?"

"What?"

Alison started to laugh. "You realize what you just said, don't you?"

"Oh dear, I did, didn't I?" Amanda laughed, giving up the two clothespins.

"Okay, my turn!" Lucy said, ready to give her present out. "My gift is also for bedtime."

Alison smiled as she took the small wrapped package and tore the paper off. "Ooo, a CD!"

"It's the best children's lullabies." Lucy picked up Christina and sat her in her lap. "When this little pumpkin-head was a baby, I'd play it for her all the time and she'd go right off to sleep."

"Mommy said baby!" Christina said loudly.

The girls couldn't help but laugh.

"What?! Oh! I cannot believe I just did that!"

Livvie began laughing. "And it was your idea to play this, Lucy!"

"Well I guess pumpkin-head here gets my clothespin," Lucy said with a laugh.

"Lucy, I love the gift. Thank you. Who's next?"

"I'll go," Marissa said, handing Alison a large basket. "I didn't wrap it because I didn't really see a point. It's a basket!"

"Oh, this is cute! Oh this has a lot of good things in it!"

"When Livvie told me to think of a gift for a certain time of day, I thought, well, bath time would be a good time! So you've got lots of goodies in there. There's little bath toys, you've got that really good smelling shampoo, some baby lotion, some…"

"Some what?" Alison laughed.

"Oh no! I didn't say it, did I?"

"I'm afraid you did, sweetie!"

"And I tried so hard not to!" Marissa said, handing Alison her clothespin.

"Thank you, Marissa! I know I'll be using this!"

"Okay, us next!" Serena said, giving Christina a bag and picking up one herself to hand over to Alison. "Our presents are for playtime. We picked them out ourselves."

Alison looked into each bag, pulling out some very adorable soft rattles, stuffed animals, and a few other baby toys. "Aww, girls, I love this! Thank you so much!"

"Well everyone, is that it?" Livvie asked, looking around to make sure all the presents were handed out. "Okay, looks like the winner of the ‘don’t say baby’ game is Alison!"

"Oh yay!" Alison cheered.

"Okay, Alison, pick which candle you want." Livvie held a tray of candles in front of her.

"Thank you, Livvie!"

"You're welcome. All right, here's the deal. Lucy and I had decided that we didn't want anyone to leave empty-handed, so before you leave, make sure you take home a candle. There's one for everyone."

"Oh gosh, girls! Thank you so much! I love all of my baby gifts! And I'm so glad I can say ‘baby’ again!"

Everyone laughed.

~*~*~*~

The party was over, and everyone had left. As Lucy finished cleaning up, Alison rested on the couch with the girls, waiting for Rafe to finish loading up the car with all of the presents they received.

As she waited, Alison ate a jar of peaches and cream left over from their baby food sampling and guessing game. "You know, I think it's quite possible that this is the only baby food flavor I like! The other ones…yuck, so bland!"

Lucy laughed. "Yeah, I enjoy the peaches and cream too."

"Oh!"

"What's the matter?" Lucy grew concerned.

"Nothing." Alison smiled. "Just the baby. It kicked really hard that time."

"Can I feel?" Serena asked.

"Yeah, sure. Put your hand right here."

"Me too?" Christina asked.

"Yeah, you can feel too."

"Come on, baby, kick," Serena said softly.

"Come on, baby," Christina repeated.

They waited a moment or two, and then they felt it.

"Oh that was so cool!" Serena laughed. "I saw your stomach jump up when it kicked!"

"I wanna feel it again!" Christina said.

"Well just wait a moment and you might. When the baby gets to kicking, usually it doesn't stop for a while."

"Okay, I've got everything loaded in the car," Rafe announced as he walked into the room. "I had no idea a baby shower could produce so much stuff."

"Thank you," Alison smiled.

Rafe took a seat beside the girls. "Is she kicking?"

"Yeah, a lot!" Serena said.

"It feels funny!" Christina added. "Mommy?"

"Yes, sweet pea?"

"Where do babies come from?"

"Oh, babies. Oh…" Lucy for once, felt speechless. She didn't know this question would come up so soon. "Well, sweet pea, babies come from…"

Rafe pointed up, mouthing the word ‘heaven’ to help her out.

"Heaven. Babies come from heaven!"

"Oh," she said, that answer seeming to satisfy her. "I'm gonna go get something from my room!" The child suddenly got up from the couch and ran over to the staircase. Serena followed.

"Thanks, cousin."

"Don't mention it. The look on your face!" Rafe started to laugh.

"I didn't think she'd be asking about the birds and bees just yet. They grow up so fast."

"Well, Lucy, we should probably go. It's getting late," Rafe said.

Lucy looked at her watch, realizing the time. "Oh, yes, of course. I gotta get Christina tucked into bed soon!"

"Lucy, thank you so much again for the shower. That was so nice of you and Livvie to plan all this out."

"Well I'm so glad you had a good time!"

"Oh I did! I had so much fun! I can't wait to get home and look through all of our new stuff for the baby!"

"Well you better hurry up, because in no time, that baby is going to be here."

"That's very true!"

Rafe helped Alison up off the couch and Alison gave Lucy a hug.

Suddenly, the three heard a fit of giggles coming from the stairs.

Serena came running down, laughing hysterically.

Christina followed, proudly showing off her round stomach. She had obviously stuffed a ball underneath her dress. "Look at me! I'm having a baby!"

The three burst into a hysteria of laughter. It was about the funniest thing they'd seen all evening.

"Wanna feel my belly? The baby's kicking!"

Rafe, laughing, put his hand over the bump on Christina's stomach. "Whoa! It's kicking up a storm!"

Christina smiled, letting Alison have a chance to feel the "baby" as well.

"You have quite the kicker there, Christina!"

Christina pushed the ball out from under her dress, and the pink ball bounced on the floor and rolled under the coffee table. "It's a girl!"

Lucy picked her up, laughing with her. "You, pumpkin-head, are a silly goose!"

 


	78. Chapter 78

originally posted 8-23-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

78

~*~*~*~

There were two times in her pregnancy that Alison felt completely miserable. The first was when she had those terrible bouts of morning sickness in the beginning.

The second was right now.

Alison tossed and turned in bed, moaning in misery. She couldn't get comfortable. She felt like she was having a hot flash. She was hungry. And the baby would NOT let up on the kicking!

Under normal circumstances, Alison loved to feel the little baby inside of her making its presence known, but how come lately, it was ALWAYS in the middle of the night? During the day when she was up and about, the baby tended to sleep, but at night, oh did it ever like to play!

"Stop kicking!" Alison whined aloud, but to no avail. The baby continued to kick to its heart's content.

Alison turned around on her other side, facing Rafe. _Look at him_ , she said to herself. Did Rafe have to worry about something kicking him hard in the ribs or bladder at night? No. Did Rafe have to worry about finding clothes that would fit him comfortably around his stomach? No. Did Rafe have to worry about giving birth? No! Of course not! He was a man!

It wasn't fair. Men didn't know how good they had it.

Alison decided to wake him up. She didn't know how much longer she could take this. "Rafe? Rafe, wake up." Alison shook his arm. "Rafe!" She called out louder, shaking him harder.

"Huh? What?" Rafe woke with a start. "Alison?"

"Oh good, you're awake."

"Alison, what's wrong? Are you okay?" The closer Alison's due date was approaching, the more anxious Rafe was becoming.

"I can't sleep!" she complained.

Rafe breathed a sigh of relief. Oh good, it was just that. Rafe had become used to Alison's midnight complaints. It was always something. She couldn't sleep. She couldn't get comfortable. She wanted something to eat.

He hadn't had a full night's sleep in the last three weeks. He couldn't imagine what it would be like once the baby had arrived.

But even though it annoyed him, these midnight awakenings, oh he couldn't blame her. He hated to see Alison so miserable.

"God, I'm so hot!" Alison continued. "Why is it SO HOT? Ugh! Rafe, do something! It feels like an oven in here!"

"I'll turn down the heat."

"No!" Alison grabbed his arm. "Can you just open the window?"

"Alison, it's like, 20 degrees outside."

"Just crack it. Just for a little while. Please? I'm about to burn up!"

"Okay, I'll open it." Rafe walked over to the window, cracking it just enough so that some cool air could blow in. "Better?"

"Oh yes! Oh, that feels so good!" Alison moaned, laying back as she felt a cold breeze blow over her. "Oh!"

Rafe shivered, but at least Alison's wasn't so hot anymore. He walked back over to the bed. "Does your back hurt?"

"Yes."

Rafe's heart broke. She sounded as if she were on the verge of tears. "Sit up."

Alison slowly sat up and turned around as Rafe began to massage her back.

"Does that make it feel better?"

"Yes. A little lower."

"Right here?"

"Mmm-hmm."

Rafe continued to massage her for a while. He found it helped relax her more, so she'd fall asleep quicker.

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really hungry."

"You want me to heat up the leftovers from dinner?"

"No."

"What do you want to eat? I'll get you anything."

"I want…never mind."

"No, what do you want? I'll cook it. I don't mind."

"No, I don't want you to cook anything."

"What do you want?"

Alison grinned guiltily. "A cheeseburger."

Rafe smiled. "A cheeseburger. No problem. Oh, but wait, what's open at this hour?"

"The drive-thru at Wendy's."

Rafe had to smile. He knew what she'd ask for next.

"Ooo! Could you get me some fries too?"

"Anything else?"

"Well a frosty of course! Oh, but get two of them so I can put one in the freezer and have it tomorrow. And get the largest size."

"That it?"

Alison thought for a moment. "Yeah, that's all."

"Okay." Rafe got up from the bed, throwing on a shirt and looking around in the closet for his shoes.

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"You sure you don't mind?"

"I don't mind."

"Thank you."

Rafe grabbed some cash from the dresser, then walked over to give Alison a kiss on her forehead. "Be back soon."

"Love you." Alison smiled as she watched Rafe walk out the door. He was the best.

~*~*~*~

"Okay, I've got one cheeseburger, large fries, and a large frosty, the other one in the freezer," Rafe announced, coming into the bedroom to find Alison sitting up with the lamp on. "Hope you're hungry."

"Yes! I'm starving! Me and the baby both! It's like a nonstop circus in my uterus!"

Rafe put his hand over her belly, feeling the very active baby move around. "Wow, looks like we're going to be having a soccer player."

"Or a kick boxer. Okay, give us food!"

Rafe laughed, handing her the Wendy's bag. Alison quickly dug in, unwrapping the cheeseburger and taking a hungry bite out of it. "Where's my drink?" she mumbled with food in her mouth.

Oh no. Was he supposed to bring back a drink? "You didn't ask for a drink."

"Well I have to have something."

"I'll get you some water from the kitchen." Rafe got up from the bed, quickly running to the kitchen to get Alison a glass of water.

"Here you are," Rafe said, handing it to her when he came back.

Alison looked at Rafe, looked at the water, and back at Rafe again. "I wanted some ice."

"Oh don't worry, it's cold. I got it out of the refrigerator, not the tap."

Alison stared at Rafe, confused. Did he not hear her? "I want some ice," she repeated.

"Okay, ice it is!" Rafe said, making another trip to the kitchen.

When he came back, he handed her the water with a smile. "Here is your glass of water, _with_ ice."

Alison took a sip a small sip, and then handed it back to Rafe. "Could you get me a straw?"

"You want a straw?"

"Please? If we have any."

"Okay, I'll go check." Rafe came back a few moments later, with a glass of water with a straw in it. He took a seat beside her.

"Oh, Rafe, don't sit down yet!"

"What?"

Alison smiled at him sheepishly. She knew he was getting tired of going back and forth. "Could you bring me some napkins? They didn't put any in the bag."

"No problem," he said, getting up once again for his fourth trip to the kitchen.

He came back with a handful of napkins. He wasn't going to take the chance of just bringing back one. "Is there anything else before I lay back down?"

Alison looked around. No, it appeared she had everything. "No, that's it."

"Okay." Rafe gave her a quick kiss, and then climbed under the covers.

"Rafe?"

Rafe was almost afraid to ask. "Yes?"

"Thank you. And I love you."

Rafe looked up at her, sitting there with half of the food already gone. "I love you too."

"You can get some sleep now. I'm good. I promise."

Rafe pulled the covers over him tightly. It was chilly in here! But as long as Alison was happy, so was he.

~*~*~*~

Alison slowly made her way over to the park bench, feeling like an old woman as it took her a few moments to actually get into the seat.

"Kid, you've got to be born soon. I don't know how much longer I can live like this," she said to her belly as she dug into her purse for something.

Alison's stomach made a noise. "All right, all right, hold on just a second. These wrappers aren't always easy you know." Alison struggled with a package of peanut M&M's. She'd been craving these all day and now she could finally just take a moment to relax and enjoy them.

"Ali."

Alison looked up, hearing a familiar voice. "Hey, Jamal!"

"Hey, Spunky." Jamal greeted her with a kiss on her cheek, and then joined her on the bench. "So what are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I just had to get away from the bakery for a while. Too much craziness. I hate being cooped up. So I decided to get out for a bit, enjoy this spring day."

"Doesn't feel too much like spring yet," Jamal laughed.

"Well it'll get warmer soon."

"So when's the big day? It's coming up soon, isn't it?"

Alison smiled at him. "A week from today." Alison rubbed her belly, thinking about how soon her due date was approaching. "So what are you doing out here?"

"Oh, I just had to run to the drugstore, pick up these pictures I had developed." Jamal held up a picture envelope.

"Ooo, can I see? I love pictures!"

"Sure." Jamal took the pictures out and handed them over. "These are from last week," he explained. "I took Marissa out for a ride on the bike. We were just goofing off."

Alison laughed at several of the pictures. It looked like they were having a really good time. "You two look so happy. Aww, I love these!" Alison continued to look through the pictures. "Looks like Marissa really loves riding."

"Yeah, she does. It took a little convincing to get her on the bike at first but now I can't get her off of it! She's always wanting to go for a ride."

"These are cute. It looks like you two—Oh!"

"Ali?"

"Oh god!" Alison put her hands on her stomach. Something was going on.

"Alison? Are you okay?" Jamal grew very concerned.

"I don't know. I felt something. I never felt it before."

"Are you in pain?"

"Sort of. But it mostly felt just really weird."

"Okay, come on, we've got to get you to the hospital."

Jamal stood up, holding out his hand to help Alison get up, and he led the way.

 

 


	79. Chapter 79

originally posted 8-28-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

79

~*~*~*~

Rafe nearly mowed down an orderly as he ran into the emergency room, frantically searching for Alison. He spotted Jamal by the desk, thankful to see someone who could help.

"Jamal! Where's Alison?"

Jamal pointed towards the room down the hall. "In there. But she's—”

"Thanks, man!" Rafe said, cutting him off as he took off down the hall.

"…fine," Jamal said to no one but himself.

"Alison!" Rafe said with a sigh of relief when he found her sitting on the examining table. "I got here as fast as I could!" Rafe was immediately at her side, putting his arm around her and giving her forehead a kiss. "I can't believe it's finally time," he whispered.

"It's not time," Alison muttered angrily.

Rafe pulled away, confused. "What?"

"False alarm."

"Braxton Hicks contractions," Dr. Meadows said, looking up from her clipboard.

"Braxton what?"

Dr. Meadows laughed. Rafe had to be about the third panicky expectant father she'd seen this morning. "Braxton Hicks contractions. No need to worry; they're completely normal. They talked about them in your childbirth class, right?"

"Yeah, but it felt really strong," Alison said. "Are you SURE that's all it was, Dr. Meadows?"

"Positive. They can feel uncomfortable at times, but you're not in labor. Real contractions will last a lot longer and those will feel a lot stronger. Trust me, you'll know them when you feel them. Well, I have some patients to check on. Make sure you get plenty of rest, take your prenatal vitamins, and I'll see you in about…oh, about a week!" Dr. Meadows smiled as she left the room, off to make her rounds.

Alison turned to Rafe, realizing he still seemed a little out of breath. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For scaring you. I didn't know you'd rush over here so fast."

"Well when you called, I just dropped everything and came over as fast as I could. What were you doing in the park anyway?"

"I just went for a walk. I had to get out."

"By yourself?!"

"Rafe, I'm fine!"

"Alison, thank god Jamal was there! What would have happened if you had gone into labor for real and you were all by yourself?"

"I would have called you on my cell phone," she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Alison, just please don't go out for walks alone. I just don't want something to happen to you when no one else is around to help."

Alison smiled. Normally, she'd be mad at him for trying to tell her what to do, but he was just so scared and worried for her. She couldn't blame him for that. "Okay, don't worry, I won't go out by myself anymore."

"Thank you."

"Can you take me home? I just want to go home and rest."

"I think that's a fine idea," Rafe said with a smile.

~*~*~*~

Every day, Alison looked at her calendar and counted how many days until her due date. But Alison's due date came…and went. And another day passed. And another. And another. And then, instead of counting down days to her due date, she found herself counting how many days past due she was.

When would this misery end? she wondered.

"Hey, Alison!" Eve said all cheerfully as she walked to the Nurses' Station and saw a very pregnant Alison waiting.

Alison looked up from her calendar and smiled weakly. "Hey, Eve. How are you?"

"I'm good. How are you and the baby?"

"The baby's good, but I'm exhausted."

"Aww, I know that feeling. Are you here for a checkup?"

"Actually, I just finished up. I'm waiting for Rafe. He insisted on pulling up the car a little closer. He thinks I shouldn't be walking much. In fact, if Rafe had it his way, he'd just wheel me around in a wheelchair all the time."

"Well overprotective expectant daddies can be that way," Eve said with a laugh.

"Oh, Eve, I am so ready for this baby to be born!" she whined.

"I bet you are. When are you due?"

"Six days ago!" Alison complained.

"Oh, honey, I am sorry!"

"I thought for sure the other day I was going into labor, but it turned out to be those Braxton Hicks contractions. So then I thought that if I was feeling those, then that would mean that the real contractions would start soon, but apparently, the baby has other plans." Alison rested her hands on her belly. "Just doesn't want to come out. Never mind the fact that it's making mommy miserable!"

"What did Dr. Meadows say?"

"Well, she said that if the baby wasn't here within a week, she was going to induce labor. I begged her to induce labor today but she wouldn't do it. I just wish I could do something to speed up the process a little, you know?"

"Well maybe you can."

"I'm not drinking castor oil."

Eve laughed. "I'm not suggesting you go home and drink castor oil. I'm suggesting you go home and have sex."

Alison laughed. "What? Eve, I'm as big as a cow! Really…sex is the last thing on my mind." Alison's smile faded as she looked down at her humongous belly, trying to remember the last time she felt sexy.

"You might want to reconsider."

"What do you mean?"

Eve leaned in closer. "Because semen contains prostaglandins."

"Prosta-what? What's that?"

"Labor-inducing hormones."

Alison's eyes lit up. "Labor-inducing? Eve, you're not kidding around with me are you? You mean having sex really does speed up labor? I heard it before but I always thought it was some old wives tale!"

"No, it's true! Semen contains hormones that induce labor. Not to mention the fact that having sex will make your uterus contract. But I should tell you…it's not going to work if your body truly isn't ready for the baby to be born yet."

"Oh it's ready!" Alison laughed.

"I've had some patients that swear by it. They thought it would take forever for the baby to be born and then they go home and have sex, they're in the maternity ward that same night."

"I'm so glad you told me this, Eve! If I had known about this, I would have done it a lot sooner!"

"Certainly worth a shot. And hey, even if it doesn't work, you'll have fun trying, right?"

Alison grinned.

"But listen, don't have sex after your water breaks. That's a big no-no. But I'm sure Dr. Meadows told you that."

"Yeah. Well I am _definitely_ trying that tonight! Thanks, Eve!"

"Good luck," Eve laughed.

"Alison, you ready to go? Hey, Eve."

"Hey, Rafe."

"Yeah, I'm ready. See you later, Eve."

"Bye."

Alison gave Eve a smile as she left the two to go make rounds.

"So, did you still want to go out for some ice cream?"

"Actually, I kind of had something else in mind…"

~*~*~*~

Rafe couldn't understand Alison these days. Just twenty minutes ago at GH, she had been begging him to take her to the Dairy Queen so she could get a chocolate and vanilla swirled ice cream cone, but now, she had completely lost interest in it.

"Have you figured out what I want yet?" Alison said sweetly as they walked into the house.

"Well you said you wanted to come home..."

Alison grinned.

"And you obviously want something very sweet, because you've got that look in your eyes."

Alison smiled wider.

"I got it! Waffles! That's what you're craving right now, waffles! With lots of syrup!"

Alison laughed. She walked over to Rafe, touching his cheek lightly. "Well you were right about one thing. I definitely want something sweet." Alison grabbed hold of his shirt and pulled him closer, giving him a kiss that nearly took his breath away. She then slowly pulled away, flashing him a seductive glance as she sauntered off to the bedroom, still leaving Rafe a little breathless.

What was that? Was she coming on to him?!

Rafe found Alison waiting for him, sitting on the bed. She looked at him and smiled. Rafe sat down beside her. "Alison…do you want to…you want to make love?"

Alison smiled, shaking her head. "If you want to…"

"Of course I want to!" Rafe said, then realizing he sounded a little bit too eager.

"It's been a while since we've…you know, been together like that. Since I've gotten fat."

"Alison, you're not fat! You know I think you're beautiful. It's just, I didn't want to pressure you into something that you may have not been comfortable doing, you know?"

"I know that. It's not you. It's me. I just feel weird lately, you know? I know you think I'm beautiful but I don't think I'm sexy."

"You are. Don't doubt that for a minute. You're the sexiest woman in the world! Look at this." Rafe put his hands on her belly. "You're carrying our baby! I mean…how sexy is that?"

Alison couldn't help but laugh.

"I think you're beautiful. Pregnant. Not pregnant. It doesn't matter. You'll always be my angel, and nothing will ever change about that."

"Oh Rafe," she said, feeling her eyes starting to well up with tears. How did he always do that to her?

"You believe me now?"

"Well I do know something that is true."

"What's that?"

Alison smiled. "That you're really good at making me feel better."

"That's the idea," he whispered in her ear, then moving his lips over to her face.

"And that you're really good at other things too."

"Such as?" Rafe said in between kisses, moving his hands towards the buttons on her blouse.

"Oh you know…the way you kiss me…"

"Mmm-hmm."

"The way you touch me…"

Rafe moved on to her mouth, kissing her deeply.

"The way you make love to me," she whispered against his lips.

Rafe cradled her face in his hands, pulling back so that he could look at her. "You're so beautiful."

Alison laid back on the bed, and Rafe smiled at her once more as his mouth kissed hers seconds later.

~*~*~*~

Rafe had dozed off for a while, but soon he awoke, smiling as he heard the sounds of Alison awaking herself.

"That was amazing," he whispered as he placed kisses all up her arm and shoulder, then moving on to her neck. "We should spoon more often," Rafe laughed softly, then kissing her forehead.

"Mmm-hmm."

His hand then moved to her belly, rubbing it softly. He smiled as he felt the baby move ever so slightly. "I think we woke someone up," he laughed. Rafe looked at Alison, getting the feeling that something wasn't right. She was too quiet. "Alison?"

"Hmm?"

"Is something…is something wrong?"

"It didn't work."

"It didn't work? What didn't work?"

Alison was quiet.

"Oh," Rafe said, "I see. I think I know what this is about." Rafe smiled, moving his lips to Alison's cheek, then giving her kisses as he moved closer to her earlobe. "I guess next time, I'll just have to work a little harder to get you there."

Alison turned to him, confused. "What?"

"You said it didn't work. I guess it wasn't as good for you as it was for me, huh?"

"Oh! No, Rafe, it was incredible. It was amazing. I promise you."

"Well then what is it?"

"I'm sorry, Rafe."

"Sorry? What for?"

"I think I used you."

 _Used?_ Now she wasn't making any sense. "Alison, what are you talking about?"

"Eve told me that if I had sex tonight, it might induce labor, but it didn't work!"

Rafe couldn't help but laugh. So that's what was bothering her.

"It's not funny!" Alison snapped. "I'm miserable being big as a hippo!"

"Alison, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to upset you. Look, the baby will come when it's ready."

"I was really hoping this would make it start a little faster."

"Well, maybe we should try it again. Maybe the second or third time will be the charm."

Alison smiled. "You're not mad at me?"

"Mad at you? Why would I be mad at you?"

"Using you for sex."

Rafe laughed. "Alison, you can use me anytime." With that, Rafe wrapped his arms around Alison, kissed her on the lips, and they sank into the pillows together.

 


	80. Chapter 80

originally posted 8-29-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

80

~*~*~*~

"Please, Rafe! I want to go!"

"Alison, I just don't know if it's a good idea."

Rafe and Alison had been arguing about it all morning. Lucy had organized a huge Easter egg hunt and celebration at the park for several of the children at the hospital. It was a beautiful day, and Alison couldn't think of a more perfect reason to get out of the house. But Rafe wasn't so sure about it.

"What do you mean it's not a good idea?"

"I just don't want you to overdo it."

"Overdo it? Rafe, how could I possibly overdo it? I'm sure all I'll do is sit on the park bench and watch children look for Easter eggs. Besides, it's such a nice day. I'm tired of being cooped up in this house. Can't we just go and have a nice relaxing day?"

"Well, I just…" Rafe started.

"Please?"

Alison was giving him that look. It was impossible to say no to her with that look. Rafe thought about it. Perhaps it wouldn't be too bad. It would certainly be a lot better than hearing her complain all day. At least it would take her mind somewhat off her misery. And if anything were to happen, he had already prepared an emergency hospital bag and was keeping it the car. "Okay, fine, we'll go."

"Thank you!" Alison threw her arms around Rafe. She knew she'd convince him. "Okay, let me just go change, and then I'll be ready to go."

Rafe watched Alison as she made her slow walk out of the room, her hands on her back. He hoped Alison would take it easy.

~*~*~*~

"Alison, Rafe!" Lucy ran over to them, giving them a hug. "I'm glad you two decided to come!"

"Well we almost didn't because _someone_ thought I would overdo it but I finally convinced him," Alison said, grinning.

"There's just no point in arguing with a woman who is nine days past due," Rafe admitted.

"I'm sick of just waiting around the house, waiting for this baby to come out."

"Then perhaps some fresh air will do you both some good! Oh, I have some food set up at that picnic table over there, so please, help yourselves!"

"That sounds great. Thanks, Lucy," Alison said.

"Why don't you go have a seat, and I can bring you a plate of something?" Rafe suggested.

"Okay." Alison wasn't going to argue with that. Sitting down seemed like a good idea right now.

~*~*~*~

"Look who wanted to come over and say hello," Lucy said as she and Christina walked over to Rafe and Alison.

"Christina! That is a pretty white Easter dress!" Alison said.

"It's brand new!"

"It's very lovely," Rafe added.

"It swirls when I spin around! Look!" Christina spun around, making her dress flow out. "Spinning around makes me dizzy!" Christina laughed as she fell in the grass.

"Oh sweet pea! You'll get grass stains on your new dress if you do that!" Lucy cautioned, reaching down to help her get up.

"Is that my basket?" Christina pointed to the basket Lucy held.

"It sure is! Here you go. You go out and find as many eggs as you can!"

"I'm gonna find a whole bunch of eggs! Maybe the most! Rafe, come help me!" Christina held out her hand, eager to get started.

"You know what, Christina? I'd love to, but I'm think I'm going to sit here for a while. I'll watch you, though."

"Rafe, you don't have to stay with me the whole time! I'm fine right here," Alison said.

"Well I just…"

"Rafe, go!"

"Please?" Christina begged.

"You sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes! Now go!" Alison laughed. It was one thing to be overprotective, but now he was just being crazy.

"Okay, let's go find some eggs!" Rafe stood up, and Christina took his hand and led the way.

~*~*~*~

"Did you find some eggs?" Alison asked as Rafe walked back over.

"Yeah, I helped her find a few. But she decided to look for some all by herself now."

"You're so good with her."

"Well she's a fun kid."

"Lucy, I can't believe you talked me into doing this," Kevin said as he walked over to the picnic table, a twinge of annoyance in his voice.

Rafe and Alison looked up, and then both held back their laughter as Kevin stood in front to them, dressed from head to toe in a white Easter Bunny costume, complete with floppy ears and a cottontail.

"I was hesitant to dress up as the Tin Man for the Nurses Ball a few years back, but that was for a good cause so I agreed, but this…this is clearly crossing the line."

"Oh, Doc, stop complaining! And this is for a good cause too! Just think of the look on the faces of those children when they see the Easter Bunny!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's just get on with this so I can get this over with."

"Ooo, Doc, don't forget your bunny face!" Lucy picked up a pink bunny nose with a set of buck teeth underneath it and an elastic band around it and placed it snug on Kevin's nose. Then, she happily handed him a basket full of plastic Easter eggs. "Now you go spread that Easter joy!"

Kevin just grumbled, then headed to the field where all the children were.

Once Kevin was out of earshot, Rafe and Alison couldn't hold their laughter in anymore.

"How in the world did you convince him to do that, Lucy?" Alison asked.

"Believe me, it wasn't easy."

~*~*~*~

Lucy had been running around, taking care of so many things at once. She finally decided to sit down for a minute or two, catch her breath, and talk to Alison for a bit.

"Look at him, Lucy. Isn't he going to be such a good father?"

Lucy looked across the park, smiling as she saw Rafe kneeling in the grass, looking for eggs with Christina and little Danny. "That's cute. So, how are you feeling? Bet you're ready for that baby to be born, aren't you?"

"Oh god, yes, Lucy! I'm tired of waddling everywhere, I can't get comfortable at night, and my back is KILLING me!"

"Oh yeah, I remember the backaches with Serena."

"It's been aching a lot lately. I woke up at like five o'clock this morning and it was bothering me so bad that I couldn't even go back to sleep."

"Is it still bothering you?"

"Yeah. Oh, but please don't tell Rafe! He'll just make me go back home and I'm having such a good time. He worries about everything."

Lucy smiled. "I won't say anything. But look, if you do start to feel worse, you should go home. You need to rest now more than ever.

"I will."

"Okay, it looks like I need to run and get some more eggs out of the car. You want to help me put candy in them?"

"Sure."

"Great. I'll be right back."

Lucy returned shortly, carrying several bags full of plastic eggs and some hard candy to put in them. "I can't believe how fast those kids work! They found those eggs quicker than I expected! Good thing I had some extra in my car. I'd hate to think what would happen if god forbid, a child went home empty handed! Well, anyway, shall we stuff these eggs?"

"Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you know when your water breaks?"

"Oh, trust me, you'll know. Wait a minute…why are you asking?"

Alison looked up at Lucy, giving her a somewhat uneasy expression. "Because I think mine just did."

 


	81. Chapter 81

originally posted 9-6-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

81

~*~*~*~

Rafe drove like a madman down the road with Alison screaming at him the whole time.

"Rafe! Stop driving so fast! You're going to kill us all!"

"I'm just trying to get us to the hospital as fast as I can—damn it!" he cursed, stepping on the brakes as the light just turned red. This light always took forever. Rafe looked both ways, checking to see if any cars were coming. "There's no traffic coming. I can run it."

"Don't you DARE!" Alison warned. "Now, Rafe, you either slow this car down, or I'm getting out and walking to the hospital MYSELF!"

Rafe looked over at Alison. She wasn't playing. "Okay, I'll slow down."

"Thank you!"

The light turned green, and Rafe pressed on the gas.

"Rafe, I thought you said you were going to slow down!"

"I am!" Rafe eased off the gas a little, watching as the needle on the speedometer went down. 35…30…25.

An impatient driver behind them beeped his horn several times.

Rafe continued on. She was right. He should drive slower. In his haste, he hadn't been thinking clearly. He'd never be able to live with himself if he made them have an accident.

"Rafe, you can go a little faster than that," Alison said, annoyed.

"But you said you wanted to go slow."

"I know but…OWWW!"

"Alison?! What's wrong?!"

"OWW, OWW! I think it's a contraction! Get me to the hospital!"

"But…"

"DRIVE FASTER! DRIVE!"

Rafe pressed down on the gas, speeding the car up. He was going 55 in a 45, edging closer to 60.

"Rafe, SLOW DOWN!"

"Make up your mind!" Rafe hollered. "Do you want me to go fast? Do you want me to go slow? What do you want me to do?"

"I don't want to have this baby in the car! So SPEED IT UP!"

Fortunately, GH was right around the corner.

Once there, Rafe jumped out of the car and ran to the passenger side. He opened the door, helping Alison get out.

"I need some help here!" he hollered out, hoping to get someone's attention. "Pregnant woman! Pregnant woman! She's having a baby!"

A hospital orderly pushing a wheelchair ran over to assist them, and Rafe took her hand and helped her sit down.

"Her water just broke. Her doctor is Dr. Meadows," Rafe said as the orderly wheeled her into the hospital.

"It would help if you wheeled me a little faster, you know! Can't you see this is an emergency?!" Alison snapped at the orderly.

As Alison was wheeled into the ER, she smiled as she saw a familiar face. "Nana!"

Amanda turned around, surprised to see Alison. "Alison! Are you in labor?"

"Yes. My water broke. What are you doing here?"

"Just taking care of some charity matters." Amanda looked at the nervous orderly. "Well don't just stand there, young man. See to it that my granddaughter gets the best room in this hospital."

"Yes, Mrs. Barrington," he replied.

~*~*~*~

Not long after they arrived, Alison was all settled into her nice, cushy room. She had to remember to thank her grandmother later. It was the nicest birthing room in the entire maternity ward. The walls were painted in soothing pastels. The lighting was much more calming. There was even a rocking chair!

Dr. Meadows walked in with a smile on her face.

"The day's finally come!" she said.

"Thank god!" Alison said.

"How are you feeling?"

Alison just moaned.

"Her water broke about twenty minutes ago," Rafe said.

After a quick examination, Dr. Meadows said everything was coming along, and all they had to do was wait a little longer. "Ten's the magic number. As soon as you hit ten centimeters, we'll be ready. I'll be back to check on you later."

"Is there anything you need? Anything I can get you?" Rafe asked.

"Just you here."

"You got it."

~*~*~*~

"OHHHH! OH GOD, MAKE IT STOP!"

Rafe didn't know what to do. For the first time, he felt completely helpless. He hated seeing Alison in so much pain. All he wanted to do was to take it away from her.

Rafe reached for her hand and touched it lightly. "Alison…"

"Don't touch me!"

Rafe pulled back his hand, confused by her reaction. "Alison, it's going to be okay. Think back to your breathing exercises…"

"I AM BREATHING!"

"Okay…how about I go run and get you some ice chips? Would that help some?"

"Yeah! You go do that! Go get me some ice chips!"

As Rafe reached the door, Alison called him back. "Rafe! NO! Don't leave me, don't leave me!"

"I'm not going anywhere," Rafe said as he rushed back to her side. "I'm staying right here."

"Please don't leave me!" Alison sobbed.

"Shh, I'm not going anywhere." Rafe held on to her hand tightly and kissed it.

"Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

Alison took a deep breath. "I'm really scared."

"Well anytime you're feeling that way, you just look at me, all right? Because I'm going to be right here. I'm not going anywhere. We're going to get through this together. And when it's all over, there's going to be this brand new life in the world. One that we created."

Alison nodded, and gave a little smile.

"Knock, knock." Livvie poked her head into the door. "Hi, sweetie."

"Livvie, hey."

"Lucy said you had gone into labor, so I had to come over and check on you. And by the way, Lucy wants you to give her a call as soon as you have the baby. She's dying to know what it is, and she doesn't care if it's 2am. How are you feeling?"

"I'm miserable." Alison turned to Rafe. "Hey, do you think you could still go get me some ice chips while I talk to Livvie?"

"Sure."

"But don't take too long."

"I won't. I'll be right back."

As Rafe left, Alison turned to Livvie with a sad expression on her face. "Livvie, I was mean to Rafe."

Livvie smiled. "Don't worry. I think he'll understand."

"Well just so we're clear, if for some reason I get really angry at you, please know it's not really me talking."

"Okay. So, is it really as bad as they say it is?"

"I don't know, but so far, it's no picnic, that's for sure."

"How are we doing?" the nurse asked all bubbly, walking into the room to check on Alison.

Alison grumbled.

The nurse shook her head. "Contractions getting stronger, huh?"

"Can't you give me something? Like some drugs?"

"I'll talk to the doctor."

Just then, Rafe walked in. "Here are your ice chips."

Alison took them gladly. "Thank you."

The nurse turned to Livvie. "Well, I hate to be the one to break up the party, but I'll have to ask visitors to leave for a while. I have to examine the patient."

"Oh no, can't you do that in a little while? She just got here." Alison complained.

"It's okay," Livvie said. "I can't stay long anyway. But I'm going to be here first thing in the morning to see that baby!"

"If it ever gets here," Alison said.

"Bye, sweetie." Livvie leaned forward, giving Alison a hug.

"Bye."

~*~*~*~

Another hour had passed, and with that, the contractions Alison felt had only grown stronger…and more painful.

"Rafe," Alison said through clenched teeth.

"What is it?"

"Come here." Alison motioned with her finger for Rafe to come a little closer. "I've made a decision. We are using a condom _every time_ after this! Got that? And if you want a daughter, you better start hoping and praying it's a girl because we are NOT doing this again!"

"Don't worry, they always say that," a man's voice said. "I should know. I have three of my own."

Rafe and Alison looked up to see a middle-aged doctor standing beside them.

"Who are you?" Alison demanded.

"I'm Dr. Kessler, the anesthesiologist," he said with a smile.

"Took you long enough!" Alison muttered.

Dr. Kessler looked at Rafe. "Ouch," he said with a laugh. "I usually get a more friendlier reception. Guess I waited too long!"

"She's been a little edgy for the last few hours."

Alison glared at Rafe.

The doctor turned to Alison. "I know you. You're Amanda Barrington's granddaughter. You don't remember me, do you? I used to walk past you all the time when you were a volunteer here."

"Are you going to give me the drugs or are we going to chat?" Alison said, not at all hiding her impatience.

"Well okay, someone's definitely not happy today," the doctor said with a laugh. "Don't worry, very soon, you'll be feeling a lot better."

"Thank god," Rafe said with a sigh of relief.

"So, I take it this is your first child?" he asked as he checked Alison's IV.

"Yes, it's our first," Rafe said.

"And LAST!" Alison added.

"Alison, I'm going to have you lie down on your side facing your husband while I administer the epidural, okay?"

As the doctor began to prepare, Alison caught a glimpse of the needle he was going to use. "Oh my god!"

"Are you feeling a contraction?" Rafe asked.

"No. Oh my god, you're using THAT?" Alison pointed to the needle.

Dr. Kessler shook his head yes.

"Um, I changed my mind! I don't think I want the epidural after all."

"You won't feel much pain, Alison. It may be a little uncomfortable while administering it but once it's over, it'll make your delivery a lot less painful."

"Uh-uh! No, I don't want it."

"Doc, please give it to her. If not for her sake at least for mine," Rafe said.

Dr. Kessler laughed.

"I said I don't want it…AHHH! OH GOD! OH GOD!" Alison grabbed Rafe's hand, feeling a rather strong contraction.

"You still don't want the epidural?" the doctor asked.

"I changed my mind! I changed my mind! Give it to me!"

"Now, Alison, it's important to stay as still as you can during the procedure. If you feel a contraction coming on, just let me know and I'll stop and wait until it passes. Just breathe through it."

Alison looked at Rafe, tears already in her eyes. "Rafe…"

"It's going to be okay. I'll hold your hand the whole time."

Dr. Kessler started the epidural, and while it was a little uncomfortable, having Rafe by her side holding her hand took her mind off of it.

"Okay, and we're finished," the doctor said when he was done. It should kick in pretty soon, about ten or so minutes. You'll feel some numbness from the waist down. Just relax, and stay in bed. And if for some reason it doesn't take or it starts to wear off before it's time to deliver, just buzz the nurse and I'll be right back up here."

"Thank you, doctor," Rafe said.

"Good luck," he said, walking out of the room.

"You okay?" Rafe asked.

Alison shook her head.

"Just rest, okay?"

"Okay."

Dr. Kessler had been right. It wasn't too long before the epidural began to take effect. She did feel a lot better, and in much less pain than she was before.

Suddenly, Alison began to feel incredibly guilty for her temper. How many people had she yelled at today? The nurses, the doctors, an orderly, Rafe.

Oh, poor Rafe, Alison thought. How could she have said all of those things?

"Rafe?"

Rafe looked up from the book he was reading. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of those things I said before."

Rafe put his book down and moved his chair closer to the bed. "I know you didn't. I can't imagine what you're going through right now. I know it can't be easy on you." Rafe smoothed her hair back with his hand. "Is it working?"

"Yeah. It's really weird. My legs feel so heavy and numb. Rafe, was I mean to that doctor?"

"You were in pain. You had an excuse."

"Oh, I was mean to him! I feel so guilty. I feel great now and it's all thanks to him."

"Don't worry. I'm sure he's seen his share of women in labor. He knows you didn't mean it."

"Whoa."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just felt another contraction. They seem to be getting closer."

"It didn't hurt, did it?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Well just rest some more. I'm sure it'll be time pretty soon."

Not too long afterwards, the same nurse as before came in to check on Alison's progress. "How are you doing?" she asked cheerfully.

"Much better," Alison said.

"Is the epidural Dr. Kessler gave you working out? It's not wearing off is it?'

"It's fine."

"Good! Because it won't be too much longer now! Dr. Meadows will be in to check on you soon, alright?"

"Alright."

~*~*~*~

"What was that nurse talking about? About it not being much longer! What time is it?"

Rafe looked at his watch, amazed at how long they had been here. "It's 11:15 now."

"Ugh! I've been in this bed practically all day! How much longer?"

"Not long I'm guessing," Dr. Meadows said as she walked into the room with the nurse right behind her. "How are you feeling, Alison?"

"I'm ready for this baby to be born!"

"I'm going to check your dilation now. How are your contractions?"

"Like one right after another," Alison replied.

"Yes, just as I thought." Dr. Meadows looked up at Alison and smiled. "You're at 10 cm now. It's time to start pushing."

"Already?" Alison asked, surprised.

Dr. Meadows smiled. "Already."

All of a sudden, Alison felt terrified. She'd been preparing for this moment for months, but now that it was finally here, it was as if she had forgotten everything she had learned about this. Alison didn't know if she could go through with it.

Rafe sensed her nervousness, and gave her hand a little squeeze. "Hey, you're going to do just fine. In just a little while, she'll be here."

Alison smiled. "Or he."

"Alison, I want you to push on this next contraction."

Alison felt the contraction right on cue, and she pushed as hard as she could.

"Good, Alison, you're doing great," Dr. Meadows said.

With every contraction she felt, Alison pushed. But after a while, she felt like she was getting nowhere.

"Come on, keep pushing!" Rafe said.

"I am!" Alison yelled.

"You're doing great, sweetie," the nurse said, patting her arm. "One and two and three and four and five."

"The baby's crowning, Alison. Just a few more pushes and it'll be here."

Alison moaned, tired of pushing. "I can't do it!" she whined.

"You can do it, Angel."

"I'm tired of pushing!"

"Just try, Alison. It won't be too much longer," Dr. Meadows said.

Alison squeezed Rafe's hand and the nurse's as hard as she could, pushing as strong as her already tired body could manage.

"One and two and three and four and five," the nurse kept counting.

"Keep going, Alison! The baby should be here on the next push."

Alison gave one more push, and before she knew it, Dr. Meadows was holding up a shaking, wet, pink little baby.

"Well Daddy was right. It's a girl!" Dr. Meadows announced.

"Oh my god," Alison gasped, staring at their tiny baby, not able to take her eyes away from her for a second.

"Alison, she's so beautiful," Rafe whispered.

And then, the sounds of her crying filled the room. It was like music to their ears.

The nurse gently wrapped the baby up and placed her into Alison's arms. "Congratulations. Here's your beautiful baby girl."

"Hi," Alison said, smiling as the baby looked up at Alison's face. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Alison, she's so tiny." Rafe couldn't resist taking her small hand into his. "Look at those fingers!"

"Look at those eyes."

"There so blue."

"And her little nose." Alison knew she would do it. She knew the moment she laid eyes on her and Rafe's beautiful little miracle, she'd cry.

Rafe saw her tears, and he gently wrapped his arm around her. "You did wonderful," he whispered, then giving her a kiss.

Alison looked at him and smiled. "No. _We_ did wonderful."

 


	82. Chapter 82

originally posted 9-25-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

82

~*~*~*~

"I can't believe she's finally here," Rafe said, touching the baby's tiny little fingers as Alison held her.

"I know." Alison looked down at the baby. "What took you so long? I thought I'd be pregnant with you forever."

"Well she just takes after her mother, that's all."

Alison looked over at Rafe. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean it's obvious. She already likes to take her time and be late for everything," Rafe laughed.

"Oh stop!" Alison said with a laugh.

"Hi, how's everyone?" the nurse said as she poked her head into the room.

"We're wonderful," Alison said, smiling at the baby in her arms.

The nurse walked over to them and gave a weak smile. "I hate to do this, but I have to take her now."

Alison looked up, surprised. "What? No, don't take her."

"Oh I'm going to bring her right back, I promise! I just have to run a few tests on her."

"Tests? Why, is something wrong?"

"No, of course not. Just routine hospital exams."

"Do you have to take her _now_?"

"Yes. It'll take ten minutes...tops."

Rafe looked at Alison, seeing how difficult this was for her. "Can I go with her?" he offered.

"Sure," the nurse said with a smile.

"She'll be just fine," Rafe said, assuring Alison. "I'll be with her the whole time."

Alison smiled. That made her feel better. "Okay. Here's Daddy, sweetheart." Alison carefully handed the baby over to Rafe.

Rafe smiled. It was amazing how tiny she was in his arms. "We'll be right back," he said, giving Alison a kiss.

"Bye, sweetheart," Alison whispered as she watched Rafe follow the nurse out the room. She knew it was crazy. Her baby was just fine, with Rafe, and she'd be back in just a few minutes. But in that moment, she really missed her!

~*~*~*~

"We're back," Rafe announced as he walked in holding the baby a little while later.

The nurse followed. "Well, everything is just fine. You have a very healthy and may I add, beautiful baby girl."

"I missed her."

"She missed you too." Rafe placed the baby into Alison's open arms.

"Hi, baby. Hi, sweetheart. Did you get all checked out with Daddy?" Alison looked up at Rafe. "Look at that. She's looking right at me!"

"Would you like to try nursing her now?" the nurse asked.

"Really? I can start so soon?"

"Oh of course! She's actually pretty alert right now so that's the best time to start."

"I feel like I don't have any milk yet though."

"Well you do have colostrum, which comes in right before your milk. And that's good for giving your baby's immune system a boost. Now don't get discouraged if she doesn't take to it right away. Some babies need a little time to learn."

"Should I hold her like this?"

"Bring her head a little closer to you. You want to make sure she's level with the breast. In fact, let's put some pillows under her. That'll take the strain off your arms."

The nurse put some cushions underneath the baby and helped Alison position her. Then after a few attempts, the baby finally began to suckle.

"Oh my god, she's doing it. She's actually doing it." Alison looked up at Rafe and laughed. "Feels kind of funny."

"Well, I think you can take it from here," the nurse said with a smile. "I'll be back in just a little while to check on things." The nurse smiled again, leaving the new parents to spend time with their baby.

"Rafe? Isn't she beautiful?" Alison said, smiling at the nursing baby.

"Yes. She's very beautiful. That's something else she gets from her mother."

Alison smiled at Rafe. "I can't take all the credit for that."

Rafe stood up from his chair and leaned forward, giving Alison a kiss. "Okay, she definitely gets that from both of us."

~*~*~*~

When Alison awoke early the next morning, she saw the most precious sight. Rafe sat in the rocking chair across the room, holding a little bundle of pink in his arms. He was talking to her very softly, and he hadn't noticed Alison was watching him.

"So that's when I had the idea of asking her what her favorite flower was. You should have seen the look on her face when I made that pink rose appear from under my coat. She thought that was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. After that, I admit, I did a lot of things to sort of show-off, like making objects just appear out of nowhere, or the time I made all of these crazy dancing lights. She always got a kick out of that."

"Good morning," Alison said, smiling at both of them.

"She's finally awake!" Rafe said with a laugh to the baby. "Let's go say good morning to Mommy." Rafe stood up and carried the baby over to the bed. "Good morning." Rafe leaned over and kissed Alison, then handed the wiggly little baby over to her mother.

"Hi, sweetheart," Alison said in a very motherly voice. "Oh look at you! You're just getting more cuter by the minute, yes you are!"

The baby looked up at her mother, squirming a little bit.

"I think she's hungry," Rafe said.

"I think so too," Alison laughed. "Okay, hold on just a minute, baby, Mama's going to feed you." Alison held her close to her and began nursing. She smiled as the baby settled down and started suckling away. "That better?" Alison turned to Rafe. "I'm hungry too."

"I bet you are. You didn't eat much yesterday."

"Could you go get me something? I don't want to eat hospital food."

Rafe smiled. "Sure. Anything you want."

"Maybe some cinnamon rolls, with lots of gooey icing. And some blueberry muffins too."

"You got it." Rafe stood up, giving Alison and then the baby a kiss. "I'll be back soon."

"Thank you."

Alison watched as Rafe left the room. She then looked down to the baby. "You've got the best daddy in the world."

~*~*~*~

Rafe watched them for a few moments unnoticed. Alison had the biggest smile on her face as she held their little girl in her arms.

"Hey, how are my two favorite girls?"

Alison looked up and smiled at Rafe. "We're doing just fine now that you're here."

Rafe walked over to the bed and pulled up a chair. "Here's your breakfast."

"Oh good, I'm starved. Just sit it on the table and I'll eat it in a minute."

"I also picked up this from the gift shop." Rafe held up a book. " _10,000 Baby Names_. Figured we should go ahead and decide on a name for the little one. Can't keep calling her 'Baby Girl Kovich' forever," Rafe laughed.

Alison looked at Rafe guiltily. "Actually, I sort of already named her."

"You already named her?" Rafe tried to hide his disappointment. She wasn't serious, was she?

"Yeah. I couldn't help it. I thought of the most beautiful name for her."

"Alison, don't you think choosing a name for the baby is something we should decide together?"

"Well yeah, but when you were gone, I was just thinking of different names for her, and that's when I thought of the perfect one. I can't imagine calling her anything else now."

"But what if I'm not too crazy about the name you chose?"

"Oh, you won't be. You'll love it. Like I said, it's the perfect name." Alison smiled as she gently put the baby in Rafe's arms. "Rafe, this is your daughter, Katrina Rose Kovich."

Rafe looked at the baby, looked at Alison, and then back to the baby again. "You named her after my mother."

"I named her Katrina because I thought it would be a nice way to honor your mother. And then I named her Rose because that's my middle name, and because it's me and your mother's favorite flower."

"Katrina Rose Kovich. I love it." Rafe looked up at Alison and smiled. "It means a lot to me that you would want to name her after my mother."

"See? I told you it was the perfect name."

"You're right. She looks like a Katrina Rose. God, I just can't get over how beautiful she is," Rafe smiled at the baby, who was starting to drift off to sleep. "Look at that little face. I know every parent thinks that their baby is the cutest in the world, but I really think we win that award."

"Oh yeah, we win it hands down," Alison said with a smile.

Rafe leaned forward, giving Alison a kiss. As they did, the baby opened her eyes, making a little sound.

Rafe and Alison looked down at her.

"Hey, you better get used to this now. You're going to be seeing this a lot," Rafe said.

Alison laughed, then they continued kissing.

 


	83. Chapter 83

originally posted 10-4-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

83

~*~*~*~

"Hey, can we come in?"

Alison looked up, seeing Jamal poke his head through the doorway. "Of course!"

Jamal walked into the room, Livvie and Jack right behind him. They carried all sorts of balloons and stuffed animals from the gift shop.

"Oh I'm so glad to see you guys!" Alison said.

The three walked over to Alison, greeting her with hugs and kisses.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Livvie asked.

"I'm wonderful."

"Where's Rafe?" Jack asked.

"Oh, I made him go home to rest for a while. I don't think he got any sleep last night."

Livvie walked over to the sleeping little baby, laying in a bed beside her mother's. "Oh, Alison, she is darling. I know you said on the phone this morning that she was beautiful but she is more precious that I imagined."

"You can pick her up," Alison said with a smile.

"Oh no. I don't want to wake her."

"You won't wake her."

"Okay." Livvie carefully picked up the sleeping infant, being sure to support her head and neck. "She's so tiny. Hi, Katrina. I'm your Aunt Livvie."

"She's beautiful, Alison," Jack said.

"Takes after her mother," Jamal added.

"Thanks guys."

"So we brought you some things!" Jack said, handing her a teddy bear with pink "It's a girl!" balloons attached to it.

Alison laughed. "Aww, thanks! I love it!" Alison set it all on the table next to the bed.

"Does she sleep all the time?" Livvie asked.

"Pretty much."

"I wish I could see her eyes."

"Oh they're beautiful. They're like this ocean blue color."

"Can I?" Jamal asked, moving closer to Livvie and the baby.

Livvie gently handed the baby over to Jamal, being careful not to awake her.

"Hey, it's your Uncle J. Wow, I can tell already, you're going to be just like your mother. You look just like her. I guess I'll have to call you Lil' Spunky."

Alison laughed. "That's cute."

"So when do you get to go home?" Jack asked.

"Dr. Meadows says that if the baby and I continue to do well, we can go home as early as Wednesday morning. Oh and Livvie, thank you so much for watching over the bakery."

"Oh no problem. The girls and I will watch over it for as long as you need. You just concentrate on that new baby of yours."

"And Ali, if there's anything you need, like an errand to run, or you need someone to watch the baby, just give me a call," Jamal offered. "I certainly wouldn't mind looking after this one." Jamal carefully set the baby back down in her bed.

"Same goes for me," Jack said.

"And me too," Livvie added.

"Aww, you guys, thank you so much! That means so much to me. I have the best friends!"

"We love you!" Livvie said, giving Alison a hug. Jack joined in, and Jamal followed, forming one big group hug.

~*~*~*~

Since Katrina's arrival into the world, sleep was the one thing she did the most. So when those rare moments occurred when she was up and alert, Rafe and Alison took full advantage of it.

"Hi, Princess," Rafe said, taking her into his arms and holding her close.

"I love how soft her skin is," Alison said, stroking her face gently.

"Yeah. And that cute little button nose. She gets that from you."

"Ohhh…there she is!" Lucy whispered excitedly as she walked into the room.

"Lucy! Hi!" Alison said.

"Hey, cousin." Rafe looked up at his cousin, smiling as she smiled back at him and the baby.

"Oh she is beautiful. I got here as soon as I could. I couldn't wait to meet the newest member of the Kovich family!"

"You want to hold her, Lucy?"

Lucy grinned. "Do you even have to ask?" Lucy pulled up a chair and Rafe handed Katrina over. "Oh hey there, peanut. Aww, look at those puffy cheeks. Reminds me of Christina when she was her age."

"We've been trying to figure out what she gets from each parent," Alison said.

"I think she gets her eyes and nose from her mother."

"And I think she gets those ears from her daddy."

Lucy looked down at her ears, then to Rafe. "Yeah, she does get your ears!" she said with a laugh.

After visiting for a while, the baby started to squirm a bit in Lucy's arms.

"I think it's about time to feed her again," Alison explained.

"Well I have to run anyway. I have some errands to run before I pick up the girls. Here you go, peanut, back to mama. I'll see you two later."

"Bye, Lucy," Alison said.

"See you later, cousin."

Rafe looked at Alison, who was already distracted with the baby. "I'll be right back." Rafe got up from his chair and walked out the room.

"Lucy, wait just a minute!" he said, catching her before she left.

"Yeah?"

"Lucy, do you think you could do something for me? I need a big favor."

"Sure, cousin! Anything! Name it."

"Well, I wanted to surprise Alison when we came home from the hospital, maybe with like, a welcome home or congratulations banner. Some balloons, you know, that kind of thing. Oh, and pink roses. Lots of them! But I don't have time to go out and set any of that up. I want the moment we come home with the baby to be really special."

"Say no more! I'll run to the party store and florist and set the place up for you. She'll love it!"

"Thanks, Lucy. You're the best!"

~*~*~*~

"We're home," Rafe announced, pulling into the driveway for the first time with their new baby.

"It feels so different now," Alison said. "Before it was just the two of us living here but now, we're a family."

Rafe gave her a smile and learned over to kiss her. "Wait here." Rafe then got out of the car, walking over to the passenger side and opening the door for Alison.

"Thank you."

"How about you carry her in?"

"Okay."

Rafe opened the back door and unbuckled the baby out of her car seat. She had been awake when they left the hospital, but the drive home had lulled her to sleep. Rafe placed her into her mother's arms, then grabbed their bags and put them over his shoulder.

Alison walked to the door and stood on the doorstep, waiting for Rafe to unlock the door. "Come on, Rafe."

"Hold on, I'm getting something." Rafe finally closed the car door, and Alison then realized what he was getting out of the car. The video camera.

"Rafe, you're going to film me now? Look at me. I have no makeup on! I look terrible!"

Rafe laughed. "You look beautiful. And you look happy. Come on, you know this moment is only going to happen once."

Alison smiled. He was right. "Okay, film away!"

Rafe turned the camera on, then unlocked the door, letting Alison walk in first.

"Well, sweetheart, here's your new home! Oh my god." Alison looked around the room seeing it decorated with all sorts of balloons and banners, as well as vases of pink roses everywhere. "Rafe…you did this?"

"With help from Lucy. Welcome home."

"I love it. Oh, I wish she wasn't sleeping. She doesn't even know we're home." Alison walked around the living room, carrying the sleeping baby around.

"She knows we're home. Her home is with us."

Alison turned around, still seeing Rafe film her every movement. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"I think we should put her down," Alison whispered.

Rafe turned the camera off, then walked with Alison to the nursery. It seemed like they had been waiting forever for this room to finally be used.

Alison placed Katrina in her crib, laying her on her back. Katrina twitched a little, but she remained fast asleep. "She's so beautiful."

"Yes, she is."

"I think I could just stay here and watch her all day."

"Well I don't think anyone's stopping us." Rafe pulled up the rocking chair closer to the crib, sitting down on it and pulling Alison into his lap.

"Have I told you how much I love you today?"

"You don't have to say it. I already know."

Alison smiled, putting her hands on Rafe's face and giving him a kiss.

 


	84. Chapter 84

originally posted 10-17-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

84

~*~*~*~

In Alison's opinion, giving birth had been the easy part! She had no idea how much babies would need, or how loud they could cry! Katrina was small but she had a healthy set of lungs, no doubt about that. She was sure the whole neighborhood could hear her.

In the hospital, it seemed as if she had been so quiet. Most of the time, she slept.

But now…sleep was the last thing anyone was getting. Everyone was up and grumpy at 2 am in the Kovich household…especially Katrina.

Alison walked around the nursery with a little bounce, holding Katrina against her body in hopes to calm her down.

It wasn't working.

She turned to Rafe, a look of complete exasperation on her face. "She's still crying. I just fed her. She can't possibly be hungry again!"

"Maybe she needs to be burped?"

"No, I don't think so. She already did. Shh." Alison gave up, handing the baby over to Rafe. "Here, you try."

Rafe held her against his chest and patted her back, hoping to calm to her down. "It's okay, Princess. You're okay."

Katrina continued to wail.

"Boy what I wouldn't give if you had your magic back right now," Alison said.

Rafe laughed. "Yeah. Unfortunately no dancing animals this time."

"How long can she keep this up?"

"Did you check her diaper?"

"Just changed it."

"Shh, Princess. Maybe you should try nursing her again. Or rocking her. Or something." Rafe handed the baby back over to her, at a complete loss of what to do.

"Okay." Alison took a seat in the rocking chair, taking the sobbing baby from Rafe. But she was too upset. Alison looked up at Rafe as if she wanted to cry herself. "She's not taking it. She's too fussy right now."

"I think she's just tired."

"Shh, baby. Me too."

"Hand her here." Rafe took the baby back, laying her down in the crib. "Wind that mobile up."

Alison turned the knob on the mobile, making soft lullaby music play, while Rafe covered the baby up nice and snug.

"She probably just needs to learn to fall asleep on her own," Rafe said.

"Wrap her arms up too," Alison said. "I remember the nurse telling me that. Swaddling is supposed to calm them down."

Rafe wrapped her up a little tighter, and Alison gently patted her.

Katrina still cried, but appeared to be calming down a little.

"Oh my god, I think that's working," Alison whispered.

Katrina whimpered softly.

"Shh," Rafe said.

And finally, the baby's eyes began to waver, and within a few minutes, she was all cried out and fast asleep.

Rafe and Alison looked at each other, both breathing a sigh of relief.

"Thank god," Rafe whispered.

"Come on, let's hurry up and get to bed. If we fall asleep now, we'll have at least a good two hours before we have to do this again."

"I'm right behind you," Rafe said with a yawn, following Alison out of the nursery.

And with that, everyone was soon back to sleep…at least for another two hours.

~*~*~*~

Three weeks had passed, and though it had took a lot of trial and error, Rafe and Alison finally felt they were getting the hang of this parenting thing. Well, a little anyway. They still had a lot to learn.

One early Sunday morning, Rafe crept out of bed. He knew Katrina would wake up in about an hour, so he didn't have much time. He'd have to work fast.

Rafe stepped into the garage, taking out the vases of pink roses that he had stashed there last night. He knew Alison would never bother to look in there, which made it the perfect hiding place. While she slept, he placed them around the bedroom. He wanted them to be the first thing she saw when she awoke.

Next, he headed to the kitchen. He had gotten better at this cooking thing. Alison had taught him a thing or two. And especially now with the baby, Alison was so tired. The cooking often fell on Rafe.

But that was okay. Alison shouldn't be the one making breakfast today, Rafe thought with a grin. He worked quickly, glancing at the clock every few minutes to see how much time he had.

Rafe put the finishing touches on breakfast. He poured the syrup on her blueberry pancakes just the way she liked it. He poured her a glass of orange juice. He made sure the bacon was crisp just enough. And to top it off, a beautiful pink rose on her tray.

Rafe carried it to the room, sitting it on the nightstand where Alison would see it.

Looking at the clock once again, he headed the nursery. Just as he suspected…Katrina was just awakening. She laid in her crib, looking up at her father. Rafe scooped her up, talking to her as he carried her over to the changing table.

In the bedroom, Alison began to awake herself. Since Katrina's arrival, she didn't have much use for an alarm clock anymore. It seemed as if lately, she and the baby were on the same sleeping schedules.

As Alison got her bearings, she realized Rafe's voice was on the baby monitor. She smiled, hearing him talk to the baby as he was obviously changing her diaper.

It was then that she noticed the roses. All over the room. Vases full of them! And on the nightstand….she was getting breakfast in bed too? What on earth was the occasion?

When Katrina was fresh and clean, Rafe carried her to the bedroom. "Oh good, you're awake."

"I heard you talking on the monitor. What's with all the roses?"

Rafe moved to sit on the bed, handing Katrina over to her mother. "You're not serious, are you?" he laughed.

"What?"

"You do know what today is, don't you?"

Alison gave him a confused expression.

Rafe tried to help her out. "The roses. The breakfast in bed. Your beautiful baby girl."

Alison gasped. "Oh my god. I completely forgot."

"Happy Mother's Day," Rafe whispered, leaning forward to give her a kiss.

"Oh Rafe. I can't believe you remembered." Alison tried to fight back tears stinging her eyes.

"How could I forget? This is your first Mother's Day as a mother. It's the most special one."

"I guess I just don't think about Mother's Day that much, you know? My mother could have cared less and so did I."

Rafe put his finger on her lips, silencing her. "No thoughts of her. This is YOUR special day. Happy thoughts only."

Alison smiled. "You are the most wonderful man in the whole world. You know that?"

"I have something else for you." Rafe leaned over to the drawer in the nightstand.

"There's more? You've already given me my most favorite present of all." Alison hugged the little baby in her arms.

"Well this is just a little something extra." Rafe held up a gift wrapped box.

"What is this?" Alison asked as she took the present from him.

"Open it."

Alison smiled as she quickly tore off the paper. Within moments, she uncovered a DVD. Alison looked at Rafe, smiling. "What's on this?"

Rafe grinned. "You know I've been following you around with that camera for weeks."

Alison laughed.

Rafe took the DVD from her. He walked over to the television to set it up.

On the movie, it was a musical montage of Alison and Katrina. Alison hadn't realized how much Rafe had been filming them.

Rafe had filmed everything…their arrival home from the hospital, Katrina's first bath in the kitchen sink, mother cuddling with the baby...everything. Alison's favorite was the footage of both of them taking a nap on the bed.

The movie was short, but the effect on Alison was tremendous. "Rafe…I love it. I can't believe you had this planned all along and I didn't figure it out."

"I just wanted to do something special for you today."

"You have. More than you know. Come here."

Rafe moved closer. "Happy Mother's Day," he whispered against her lips, then giving her another kiss.

 


	85. Chapter 85

originally posted 10-31-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

85

~*~*~*~

"Alison, are you sure you're up for this?" Rafe asked as they pulled up to the lighthouse. "Because we don't have to do this tonight. You know that. We can always go out another time."

"Rafe, it's our first anniversary. The first one is the most special, and our anniversary is only going to come around once a year. Of course I want to go out and celebrate tonight. It's just...I've never been away from her before."

"She's going to be just fine, I promise you. She's in good hands with Lucy."

"I know."

"You ready?"

"Yeah."

Rafe got out of the car and opened the back door, unbuckling Katrina. Alison grabbed the baby bag and headed to the front door. She waited for Rafe as he walked over, carrying the sleeping baby in her car seat. Rafe gave her a smile, and Alison knocked on the door.

A few moments later, Lucy appeared. "Hey!" she whispered.

"Hey, cousin," Rafe said, kissing Lucy on the cheek.

"Hi, Lucy."

"Oh it's good to see you!" Lucy pulled Alison in for a hug and took the baby bag from her. "Oh and look at the little peanut! Sleeping like an angel."

"Takes after her mother," Rafe said, laughing softly.

"Please, come on in."

"Where are the girls?" Rafe asked, noticing how quiet the place was.

"Oh they're with Scott tonight. And Doc's working late, so looks like it'll be just the two of us."

Rafe sat the baby down, and Alison walked over to her, adjusting her blanket.

Lucy turned to Rafe. "So where are you going out to dinner?"

"The Riverboat."

Lucy gasped. "Ooo! I've heard of that place! Wow, how did you get a reservation there on such short notice?"

"My grandmother is friends with the manager," Alison admitted.

"Sounds like you'll have a wonderful time. I've always wanted to eat there. You get to eat all of this fabulous food and overlook the water…you'll have to tell me all about it!"

"We will," Rafe said with a smile. "Well, I guess we should head on. Thanks so much for watching the baby, Lucy."

"Oh it's no problem. Anytime."

Alison turned to Lucy, opening up the baby bag. "Lucy, everything she needs, and I mean _everything_ , is in this bag. I have diapers, I have wipes, I have burping cloths, I have her favorite toys, some extra clothes…lots of stuff. Now she'll probably sleep the whole time she's here, because she's not due for another feeding until a few hours, but just in case, here's a bottle." Alison held up the bottle and handed it to Lucy. "And if she wakes up, make sure she has her fuzzy pink blanket, because she won't go back to sleep without it. Oh, and this rattle right here. This is her most _favorite_ one. This will usually get her attention if nothing else will."

"Okay, bottle, fuzzy blanket, rattle, got it."

"And just call if you need anything," Alison added. "I'll have my cell phone, okay?"

"Alright, but I doubt I'll have to. I think we'll be just fine. You go out and enjoy your anniversary!"

Alison smiled. "Thank you, Lucy." Alison looked over at Katrina's sweet little face, knowing this was the hard part. She walked over to Katrina, kissing her very lightly on her forehead, and for one more time, inhaling that sweet little baby smell that always lingered in her downy hair. "Bye, sweetheart. Mama loves you. We'll be back really soon, okay? But until then, Lucy's going to take really good care of you."

Rafe moved over to Alison, putting his arm around her. "Come on, Alison. Bye, Lucy," he whispered.

"Bye. Have a wonderful time!"

~*~*~*~

The Riverboat was anything but casual. It was probably the classiest restaurant Rafe had ever been to. And not that he and Alison needed a fancy dinner to celebrate their anniversary - a home-cooked meal would have been just fine with him - but it was nice to go out somewhere upscale and chic for a change.

And it did give Alison an excuse to wear the beautiful diamond earrings he had bought her.

"Wow, look at the décor of this place," Rafe whispered.

"I know. It's so beautiful."

"Hello. Welcome to the Riverboat. Your name?" the friendly hostess asked when she saw Rafe and Alison.

"Kovich. We have a reservation."

The hostess looked down at the list on the podium. "Oh yes, here you are. Smoking or non-smoking?"

"Non-smoking."

The hostess smiled. "Right this way."

Rafe and Alison were seated in a booth by the window, overlooking the evening sky over the Port Charles River.

"Our specials tonight are the lobster bisque, New England clam chowder, and the crab soup. What kind of drinks can I start you off with?"

Rafe gave her a smile. "We'll each have a glass of your best champagne."

"Okay. I'll give you a few minutes to look over the menu and your waiter will be over soon. Have a nice dinner."

"Thank you."

Rafe perused through the menu, noticing the variety of entrees to choose from. "Looks like we'll need more than a few minutes to decide," he laughed.

"I know. It all looks so good. I think I know what I want though." Alison closed her menu, pushing it away from her. "Rafe?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Katrina is still sleeping?"

"I'm sure she is," he smiled.

"I hope so. You know she's at that stage whenever we leave the room, she cries until we come back. I should have warned Lucy about that."

Rafe laughed. "Don't worry. Lucy has plenty of experience with children. She can handle it."

A few minutes later, their waiter appeared with their champagne, ready to take their order.

Rafe looked over the menu once more, pondering what he wanted to order. He then smiled, handing it to the waiter. "I think I'll have the filet mignon."

"And for the lady?"

Alison was gazing out over the water, appearing to be in a world of her own.

"Alison?" Rafe said, getting her attention.

Alison turned to Rafe, then noticing the waiter standing over their table. "Oh. I'll have the chicken marsala."

"Excellent choices. And if you need anything, my name is Andre."

"Thank you," Rafe said with a smile. He then turned to Alison, looking out over the water again. He could tell she was distracted, and it wasn't the scenery on her mind. "You're thinking about her again, aren't you?"

Alison looked at Rafe, her eyes telling it all. "What if she wakes up and realizes she's not at home and she gets scared? What if she starts crying and Lucy can't get back her to sleep?"

"Angel, I'm sure she'll be just fine. She probably won't even notice we're gone."

"She notices when we leave the room. It's not going to take her long to realize we're not even in the house."

"Why don't you call Lucy?"

"No. I'll just sound like a crazy overprotective mother who needs an update every five minutes."

"Hey, I thought I was the crazy overprotective parent," Rafe laughed. "Call her. Lucy's not going to think anything of it. She's a mother too. I'm sure she's already called Scott to check on her girls. She wouldn't think it's crazy if you called to check on your little girl too."

Alison smiled. "Okay. But just to check on things." She reached into her purse, taking out her cell and dialing Lucy's number.

"Lucy?"

"Hey, Alison."

"I'm just calling to check on things. How is she?"

"Oh she's just fine. She's as snug as a bug in a rug."

Alison smiled. "Has she been sleeping the whole time?"

"Oh yes, quite soundly."

"Okay, good. Well if she wakes up, just try walking her around a bit, because that calms her down and gets her back to sleep sometimes. And if that doesn't work, try the bottle, because she may be hungry."

"Okay, will do."

"And if you need to call me, for any reason, please don't hesitate."

"Don't worry. She's going to be just fine. Now you go enjoy your dinner."

"Thank you, Lucy."

"You're welcome. Bye."

Alison hung up her phone, breathing a little sigh of relief.

"Feel better?" Rafe asked.

Alison smiled. "She's sleeping."

"Told you."

"You were right. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What for?"

"It's our anniversary, and I should be concentrating on us. Instead, all I can think about is the baby."

Rafe reached across the table and took hold of her hand. "Alison, you don't need to apologize. I miss her too."

"Yeah, but I really want to think of just us tonight, you know?"

"Hey, that little girl wouldn't be here if we didn't love each other so much. It's okay to think about her."

Alison's smile grew bigger. "When we get to Lucy's, I'm going to scoop her up in my arms and kiss her little squishy cheeks." Alison pinched her own cheeks and laughed.

"You know what I'm going to do?"

"What?"

"Take my two favorite girls home, where we'll spend a quiet evening together, just the three of us."

"Sounds good to me," Alison said.

~*~*~*~

As soon as Lucy opened the door, Alison started talking. "Where is she?!" Alison had the biggest smile on her face, as if she couldn't wait to see her little girl.

"She's right over there, and she just woke up," Lucy said, smiling.

Alison rushed over to the sleepy little baby, whose eyes kept opening and closing. Alison picked her up and carried her over to the couch, talking softly to her.

Rafe and Lucy looked on, smiling.

"She was thinking about her the whole time," Rafe said.

"Well, that's understandable. You carry a baby around with you for nine months, and then when the time comes to let go, you can't imagine being without her."

Rafe nodded. "That's true."

"So, how was dinner?" Lucy asked, changing the subject.

"Lucy, it was incredible. I think I need bigger pants."

Lucy laughed. "That good, huh?"

"One of the nicest restaurants I've been to. The food was good. The service was good. The scenery was incredible. We had a nice view of the river from our table."

"Sounds like you had a really good time. I'll have to get Doc to take me!"

"We're ready," Alison said, carrying the baby over to Rafe with the baby bag on her shoulder and the carrier in her other hand.

"I'll take that," Rafe offered, taking the carrier.

"Lucy, thank you so much for watching her."

"Oh it was my pleasure."

"We'll have to call on you again," Rafe said.

"Please do. She was an angel."

"See you later," Rafe said.

"Bye, Lucy, Alison said.

"Bye!"

~*~*~*~

Katrina fell asleep in the car again on the way home, but she woke up right on cue for her feeding before bedtime. Alison fed the baby, changed her, cuddled her, and finally settled her down for the night.

And now, she was ready for bed herself. Alison couldn't wait to fall asleep.

"She sleeping?" Rafe asked, waiting for Alison in bed.

Alison nodded. "Yeah, she's down…for now." Alison climbed under the covers.

It was then that Rafe placed a wrapped box in her lap.

"What is this?"

Rafe laughed. "What do you think? It's still our anniversary for a few more hours."

"But we already exchanged presents this morning."

"Well this is something extra."

Alison smiled. "You're spoiling me, you know. First, the diamond earrings. What's this? A necklace to go along with it?" she laughed.

"Open it."

Alison lifted the lid off the box and moved the tissue paper back, revealing what was inside. "Rafe…oh, it's beautiful. It's all three of us." Alison picked up the picture frame inside to get a closer look. The picture of she and Rafe and the baby, was one of her favorites.

"I remember you said a while back that you wanted a picture like that for the living room. Just like the picture of me and my parents. So there it is."

Alison looked at Rafe, giving him a smile. "I love it." Alison moved closer to Rafe and kissed him. "I'm going to set this here for now." Alison put the picture on the nightstand, then turned to Rafe. He was smiling at her.

Rafe put his hands on Alison's face, looking at her intently. "You're so beautiful."

Alison smiled. She didn't feel beautiful. She felt like she looked tired and worn out. But she wasn't going to argue.

"You said the baby was sleeping?"

"Yes."

"So we have some time?" Rafe said with a grin, gently pulling Alison to him and closing the distance between them.

Alison sank into the covers as Rafe fell over her, showering her with kisses. She closed her eyes, feeling his breath on hers, starting at her lips, then moving down to her neck. Meanwhile, his hands roamed the length of her body, not stopping until he found the hem of her shirt. He slipped his hands under her nightshirt, touching the smooth skin underneath.

And all of a sudden, it hit Alison. She was tired. She had a dozen things on her mind. She still didn't feel sexy, even though she knew Rafe would wholeheartedly disagree. It had been so long since she had been this way with Rafe, and even though her body ached for his touch, her mind was elsewhere.

Alison sat up, slowly pulling away, baffling Rafe.

"What's wrong?" Rafe asked, confused as he sat up.

"Rafe…not tonight. I'm just...I'm just not ready."

"Oh. Alison, I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to rush you or anything…"

"No, don't be sorry. You shouldn't apologize for wanting to make love to your wife. If anyone should be sorry, it's me."

Rafe put his arms around her, holding her close to him and giving her head a kiss. "Hey, there's nothing you need to be sorry for," he whispered.

Alison wiped her eye with her fingertip. "Yes there is. I want to make love to you. It's our anniversary, and I just want to think of you. I want to think of us. So why can't I?"

"Alison, you've been through a lot. _We've_ been through a lot. You know, I don't think either one of us realized how hard this parenting stuff would be. Taking care of a baby takes a lot out of you."

"You're not upset?"

"About what?"

"About...you know."

Rafe smiled as he lifted a finger to brush the hair from her face. "Of course not. Listen. You take as much time as you need, okay? And you let me know when you're ready. No pressure. I don't care how long it takes. A day, a week, a month, it doesn't matter. I can wait very patiently." Rafe gave her a smile. "I can. I promise."

Alison gave him a little smile. "You really don't mind waiting?"

"I don't mind. I would never want you to do anything that you're not ready for yet. Besides, there's no need to rush. We don't have to make love to be intimate with each other."

"There is something I would like you to do."

"What's that?"

"Will you hold me?"

Rafe grinned. "Don't I always?" Rafe gave Alison a kiss goodnight and put his arms around her, holding her tight. And that was how they fell asleep.

 


	86. Chapter 86

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, my friends, here it is. The final chapter. *sniff*
> 
> I just wanted to take a moment to say to all of my readers that you guys are great! I had no idea when I started this story back in January of 2002 that it would become this big. I had simply wanted to write a story about my new favorite soap couple, and it had become so much more.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this story, and thanks to all of those who gave me ideas and inspiration for it! I couldn't have written it without all of the positive feedback that kept me going. And thanks so much for being patient with me. I know it's taken me a long time to get to this point. These past two years have probably been the craziest years of my life and finding time to write hasn't always been possible. But I'm glad to hear that after all of this time, you're still reading!
> 
> I promise, though, that this is not the end of my little Rali saga. I will be posting a brand new story soon on fanfiction.net, so check there really soon for updates! (Update: It’s now posted!)
> 
> Well, until then, enjoy this final chapter. I hope I left everything in a way that you'll all be happy! I revised it sooo many times!

originally posted 11-11-04

Heaven Sent an Angel

86

~*~*~*~

"Well, what do you think?"

Alison gasped, beaming with happiness. "Sweetie, you look beautiful."

Livvie looked at herself in the mirror, running her hands along the sides of her wedding dress and smoothing it. It had taken a while, but she had finally found the perfect dress. Livvie looked over at Alison, giving her a smile. "So do you."

Alison smiled, looking at the light blue bridesmaids gown she wore. "But not as half as beautiful as you. It's your wedding day! Let's put on the veil!" Alison reached over for the veil and helped Livvie put it on. "Now you're perfect."

A gentle knocking was heard at the door. "Livvie, can I come in?"

"Come in!" Livvie called out to her father.

Kevin poked his head in, almost forgetting that she'd be wearing her wedding gown. He smiled, realizing that the moment he'd been waiting for, to walk his daughter down the aisle, was finally here. "Oh…wow. Sweetheart, you look beautiful." Kevin walked over to his daughter, taking her hands and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Daddy."

"Are you ready? Everyone's waiting outside."

Livvie smiled. "Yes. I'm ready."

"You look pretty!" Christina said, running into the room and jumping up and down in her blue flower girl dress.

"And you are a pretty little flower girl!" Livvie said.

"Well now that everyone's ready, come on, let's get you married!" Alison said, handing Livvie her bouquet of flowers.

Alison took Christina's hand, Livvie took Kevin's arm, and together, they headed down to the river for a wedding.

~*~*~*~

Everyone agreed that it was the perfect afternoon for a wedding. It was an outdoor ceremony, and fortunately, the weather had cooperated.

Lucy had volunteered to help Livvie with all of the decorations. It was amazing what several dozen lilies, gardenias, and English ivy could do to a yard.

The reception immediately followed.

As the wedding party slipped away for photographs, Rafe walked around, holding his little girl. Alison had dressed her in a darling pink satin dress, which really did make her look like a princess, as Rafe so often affectionately called her.

Katrina had gotten just has many comments on her appearance as the bride herself.

"She is just precious!" Mary said, walking over to Rafe and just about taking her out of her father's arms.

Everyone wanted to hold Katrina.

"Thank you."

"Oh yes, she's just as precious as she can be!" Mary held up Katrina, looking into her pretty blue eyes. "That is amazing. She looks just like her mother."

Rafe smiled. "She does, doesn't she?"

"You know, not that I don't love my boys. I'm truly blessed with them. But I had always wondered what it would be like to have a daughter. Alison must enjoy dressing her up all pretty and putting little bows in her hair."

"Oh yes, she does," Rafe grinned.

"Well, she's beautiful." Mary handed the baby back over to her father. "I'm going to go track down Victor now. You take care."

"You too."

"Bye little precious one!" Mary waved to the baby, then left to go find Victor.

Katrina made some babbling noises as she pulled the ribbon on her dress and put it in her mouth.

Rafe looked down at her, smiling. "You hear that, Princess? Everyone can't get over how beautiful you are."

"There's my sweetie!" Alison's voice sang as she walked over to them.

Katrina's head turned in response to her mother's voice.

Alison took the baby, holding her close and kissing her on the cheek. "Hey sweetheart! And hello to you too," Alison said to Rafe, giving him a kiss too.

"You're done with pictures already? That was fast."

"Well the photographer's taking a few more of the bride and groom but he's done with me. Besides, I wanted to hurry back over to see how this little one was doing." Alison looked down at the baby, bouncing her a little in her arms. "I'm so proud of you, sweetie! You were so good during the ceremony! I didn't hear a peep out of you!" Alison looked up at Rafe. "I was so afraid she'd start fussing during the vows."

"No, she was much too interested in pulling on my tie to bother with crying," Rafe said with a laugh.

Suddenly, everyone heard the sound of silverware clinking on a glass.

"Everyone, can I have your attention?" Lucy called out.

The crowd looked over towards Lucy.

Once Lucy had their attention, she began. "May I present to you, the bride and groom, Mr. and Mrs. Jack Ramsey!"

The guests began to applaud as Jack and Livvie made their way over to the yard. Now the celebration was really ready to begin.

~*~*~*~

As the dancing got underway, Rafe and Alison had no problem finding someone to hold the baby while they spent some time together.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Alison said with a smile.

"What?"

"Our wedding day. Remember how we kept trying to sneak away at the reception but kept getting caught?"

Rafe laughed. "Yeah. Hey, let's relive that moment."

"Okay!"

Rafe took Alison's hand and they sneaked away to the back of the house. The music could still be heard, but it was a bit quieter back here with no one around. Rafe gently pinned Alison against the wall of the house, stealing a few kisses.

The moment was interrupted, however, by some giggling. Rafe and Alison looked down, seeing little Christina hiding under the back steps.

"Hey, what are you doing hiding down there?" Rafe asked as he scooped her up in his arms.

"Hiding!"

"Well look, why don't you go hide in the front yard, alright? Your mother's going to be wondering where you are."

Rafe put the little girl down, and she bounced away, her little blue ribbons on her dress trailing behind.

"Now where were we?" Rafe asked, then resuming his and Alison's kiss.

~*~*~*~

Soon afterwards, it was time for the cake. Alison was so proud. She had promised Livvie that she would make her wedding cake, and it had turned out to be better than she had ever expected. Quite possibly one of the most delicious cakes she had ever baked.

Katrina seemed quite interested with the cake as well. Alison scooped a bit of frosting onto her finger, giving the baby a sample.

"Alison! What do you think you're doing?" Rafe asked.

Alison turned to him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You can't feed cake to the baby!"

"Well I just did. Come on, a tiny bit won't hurt." Alison laughed. "Look at that. She likes it! She has a sweet tooth just like mama!"

Katrina drooled a little, opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue. She then reached out for the cake, attempting to touch it.

"You want some more, baby?" Alison gave her another taste.

Rafe sighed, rolling his eyes. He wasn't going to say anything more. Memories of the potato chip incident came to mind. He didn't dare want a repeat.

"You know what? I think she's about to start getting a little fussy. I'm going to go slip inside and feed her.”

Rafe looked down at the cake remaining on her plate.

Alison caught his glance, reading his mind. "Breast milk, I promise! No more cake!"

"I didn't say anything."

"You were thinking it," Alison said with a laugh as she walked off with the baby. "Save my cake!" she called out.

Rafe picked up the plate she had set down, stealing a bite from it. He did have to admit, it was very tasty.

~*~*~*~

Once Katrina had been fed and changed, Alison brought her back outside. She took a rest on the porch swing.

"Can I join you?"

Alison looked up, seeing Eve standing over her.

"Oh course! Have a seat."

"Alison, she is beautiful. May I?"

"Sure." Alison handed the baby over.

"Hey, Katrina! You're so pretty! Oh yes, such a pretty little girl!"

Katrina gave a little smile.

"Aww, and a pretty smile too!"

"You should hear her when she laughs. She has the cutest laugh!"

"Oh, so does Danny. I love to hear babies laugh. So, how's parenting?"

"Challenging, but I love it. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning and hear her on the monitor, I can't believe that I'm actually a mother."

Eve handed the baby back over to Alison. "Yeah, it's a pretty amazing feeling."

"Mama!"

Eve suddenly looked up, seeing Ian carry Daniel over to her.

"He wants his mother," Ian explained, putting him into Eve's arms.

"Well there's my little man!" Eve said to a smiling and laughing Daniel in a motherly voice. "You wanted to come over and see Mama didn't you? Danny loves his mama!" Eve held Danny close to her, patting him on the back. "He's my little mama's boy!"

Alison laughed. "I can't believe how much he's grown! Every time I see him, he's bigger. He's walking. He's talking."

"I know. He's growing up so fast. He's not going to be my little man for too much longer!" Eve held Danny up, making him laugh, then turned to Alison. "You better watch out. She's going to grow up just as fast."

It was then that Daniel looked over to Alison, seeing the new and very interesting person she was holding.

Eve noticed. "You see the baby, Danny?"

"Baby," Danny said.

"Yes, it's a baby," Eve said. "Say hey to the baby."

"Baby," Danny repeated, reaching out to touch Katrina's face.

"Now be careful, Danny," Eve said, pulling his arm away gently. "You have to be gentle with her. She's just a little baby. Touch her gently." Eve took Daniel's hand and let him touch the baby's hand.

"Baby!" Danny said happily.

"You wanna give the baby kisses?" Eve asked Danny.

Danny leaned over towards Katrina, then kissed her gently on the cheek.

"Aww!" Alison said with a laugh. "That has to be the cutest thing I've ever seen!"

"Kiss baby!" Danny said.

Alison looked down at Katrina, noticing how wide her eyes had suddenly become. "Look, Danny! She's looking right at you! She's wondering, 'Well who is this handsome little boy who just kissed me?'"

"Danny, say, "It's me, Danny! I'm the little Thornhart heartthrob. I take after my daddy!" Eve said with a laugh.

Katrina continued to stare intently at Danny, then reached out her arm and tried to grab his shirt.

Danny leaned down, giving Katrina a hug. This made Eve and Alison laugh even more.

"You love the baby, don't you Danny?" Eve asked Danny.

To that, Danny replied, "Baby!"

Eve looked over to Alison. "Wouldn't it be wild if these two really did fall in love one day?"

"Anything is possible," Alison said with a laugh.

~*~*~*~

It was getting late, and the reception was winding down. The bride and groom were preparing to leave for the honeymoon.

"Have a wonderful time!" Alison said, giving Livvie and then Jack a hug. Alison turned to Livvie. "I want to hear all about Bermuda when you get back!"

Livvie smiled. "Okay!"

The newlyweds said the rest of their goodbyes, and then ran down the steps together to the limo waiting to take them to the airport.

"Bye!" everyone shouted.

Livvie and Jack looked out the window, waving to everyone as they drove off.

Rafe put his arm around Alison, giving her a kiss on her head. Although it was a lovely ceremony, nothing would ever top his and Alison's wedding day.

~*~*~*~

"And then, he leaned over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek!" Alison said with a laugh, telling Rafe about Katrina and Daniel on the drive home. "It was so cute!"

"So wait a minute. You're telling me that our four month-old daughter already has her first admirer?"

"Rafe, they're just babies! But can you really blame Daniel? Katrina is very beautiful."

"Yes, she is. Which is exactly the reason why she's not dating until she's thirty."

Alison laughed. "Oh, Rafe, be serious!"

"I am."

"What are you going to do? Keep her locked up in the house? Volunteer as a chaperone at the prom?"

"If that's what it takes, yes," Rafe said in a serious voice.

"Rafe, you're going to have to let her grow up sometime."

Rafe looked over at Alison and gave a little smile. "I will. But not tonight, okay? Let's pretend she'll stay this age forever."

Alison smiled. "Okay."

~*~*~*~

Once they arrived home, Alison said she desperately needed a shower after all of the running around she did today at the wedding, so Rafe told her to go ahead, and he would put Katrina down for the night.

But little did Rafe know, Alison had some special plans for tonight. She hoped the baby would keep him occupied long enough for her to set things up.

Alison smiled, looking at herself in the mirror. Everything was perfect. She had the music. She had the candles. She had the outfit.

There was just one more thing that she needed. And that was Rafe himself.

Alison walked to the nursery, peering in the doorway and watching him for a few moments.

He sat in the rocking chair, holding the baby in one arm, a book in his other hand.

Katrina seemed content, chewing on one of her stuffed animals.

"Rafe, are you coming to bed soon?"

"Yeah, in just a min..." Rafe looked up at Alison, trying to find his voice as the red she wore nearly blinded him. "Where'd you get that from?" he asked with a smile.

Alison flashed him a smile. "That mall you claim I spend too much time in," she said with a laugh.

"Well remind me to encourage you to go there more often."

"I bought it the other day when I was helping Livvie pick out something for her wedding night. You like?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Rafe said with a laugh.

"Don't be long." Alison gave him a wink, then left.

Rafe looked down at the baby, smiling as he saw how quiet she was. Not a bit fussy. Perfect. She was ready for bed.

Rafe tucked Katrina in nice and cozy, then started up her sleepy-time music.

Within moments, Katrina's little eyes began to close. She was getting sleepy.

It couldn't have been more perfect.

Rafe walked into the bedroom, pleasantly surprised at the mood Alison set. Candles were everywhere. Music was playing. Rafe could even smell the flowery scent of her shower gel wafting in the air. "What's all this?"

Alison smiled, walking over to him with a glass of champagne. "What do you think?"

"Champagne? Are we celebrating?"

"Yes. We're celebrating us." Alison clinked her glass with Rafe's, then took a sip.

"That's certainly something worth celebrating," Rafe said, taking a sip.

Alison took Rafe's glass and set them both on the dresser. Then she took Rafe's hand, leading him over to the bed. "I was thinking about something today."

Rafe sat on the bed with Alison, his hand still holding hers. "And what would that be?"

"Seeing Livvie and Jack today. Seeing how in love they are. It all made me think of our wedding day."

"Me too."

"And seeing how happy they looked as that limo drove off, knowing that they have an absolutely incredible night ahead of them. I was thinking…why should they be the only ones to have a little fun tonight?" As she talked, she began to assist Rafe in taking off his shirt. She flashed him a seductive smile.

"Alison, are you sure?"

"Yes. You told me to tell you when I was ready. Well I'm telling you now. I want you to make love to me."

Rafe smiled as he took hold of Alison's face, bringing her lips to his.

Even though it had been awhile, it didn't take long for them to find their way back to each other. Rafe had forgotten how just the touch of Alison's hand across his chest could send shivers up his spine. And the way he lost his senses by just the feel of her lips on his neck…she was driving him crazy.

"I did mention I like what you're wearing, didn't I?" Rafe asked as he continued kissing her.

"You mentioned it."

Rafe looked into Alison's eyes, giving her a smile. "But I have to admit. I think I like it better off." Rafe reached for the silky fabric and in one swift motion, pulled it over her head.

"I think you're a little overdressed too," Alison whispered.

"Well we can take care of that problem."

Alison smiled as she watched Rafe remove his sweatpants, and everything else, then tossing them to the floor.

He then moved over her, gently laying her down and kissing her everywhere. He took his time, savoring every moment.

Alison closed her eyes, feeling herself tremble with every touch. She loved the feeling of his strong arms holding her so close to him. Oh how good it felt to be this way again. But he was moving too slow, and Alison didn't want to wait any longer.

"Rafe…"

Rafe looked up at Alison, giving her a grin, then resumed kissing the soft skin above her navel.

"Rafe," Alison begged again.

Rafe moved his way back over to her lips. "What?"

"I want you, Rafe. I want you now. Stop teasing me."

Rafe laughed softly. He cradled her face in his hands, kissing her once more, then finally making them one.

~*~*~*~

"What are you thinking about?" Alison asked, propping herself up on her elbow as she and Rafe were wrapped up in each other's arms, laying in a heap of tangled sheets.

Rafe smiled, reaching out to touch a lock of her hair. "I was thinking of how amazing that was. God, that was incredible."

Alison laughed, grabbing his chain and playing with it. "I know, it was. You know, Katrina's still sleeping. Maybe we have time to do that again," Alison whispered, moving closer to Rafe and brushing her lips with his.

Just then, they heard a little whimper on the baby monitor.

"Or not," Rafe laughed.

"I jinxed it."

"I'll get her." Rafe kissed Alison quickly, then sat up on the bed, grabbing his sweatpants off the floor and pulling them on as he headed out the door.

Alison reached for her robe at the foot of the bed and put it on. She smiled as she heard Rafe's voice on the monitor.

"What's the matter, Princess? You can't get back to sleep?"

Katrina made a noise, as if she was answering him, and then quieted down.

Alison smiled as she watched Rafe walk into the bedroom, holding Katrina. Katrina was content with her fingers in her mouth and a slobbery mess running down her hand.

"There's my drooly baby!" Alison said with a laugh. "Come here, sweetheart."

Rafe sat on the bed and handed the baby over to Alison. "I think she just needed her mama."

Alison held the baby so that she was facing her, sitting her in her lap. "You woke up and wanted to know what Mama was up to, didn't you? My pretty baby."

Rafe picked up a burping cloth laying on the nightstand, then wiped Katrina's messy wet hand. As he did, Katrina focused on her father's chest, suddenly seeing something so interesting that she just had to have it!

"Da," she babbled, grabbing the chain around Rafe's neck and putting it straight into her mouth.

"No," Rafe said, taking the chain out of her grip. She attempted to reach for it again.

"Katrina!" Alison said, and the baby turned to her mother, forgetting all about her father's chain. Alison made a goofy face, then stuck her tongue out at her. Katrina responded with a smile, and then a little giggle, which made her parents laugh as well. "She has the cutest little laugh." Alison picked up the baby and stood her up on her wobbly little legs. "Yes you do! Laugh again for mommy!"

"How did we get so lucky?" Rafe asked as he reached over to touch Katrina's soft downy hair.

"I don't know. I guess heaven decided to send us a little angel." Alison kissed the baby on her cheek, and the baby made some more babbling noises.

The image made Rafe's heart melt. He was the luckiest man alive to have both of them in his life. He put his arm around Alison, kissing her cheek. "Yes. Heaven certainly did send us something wonderful."

 

THE END!


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